147 Soldiers and Military Officials Died in One Year... Most Due to Extreme Choices

The number of deaths among soldiers and military personnel over the past year was reported to be 147. The most common cause of death was suicide.

On the 29th, the National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) announced through data that 149 soldiers and military personnel died and were reported to the Military Human Rights Protection Officer during the one-year period from June 20 of last year.

The leading cause of death was suicide, accounting for 66 cases (44.9%). This was followed by deaths of enlisted soldiers at 54 cases (36.7%), and accidental deaths at 27 cases (18.4%). By status, deaths were classified as 66 non-commissioned officers and warrant officers (44.9%), 41 enlisted soldiers (27.9%), 23 military personnel (15.6%), and 17 officers (11.6%). By affiliation, the deceased belonged to the Army with 83 cases (56.5%), Air Force 26 cases (17.7%), Navy 22 cases (15%), Marine Corps 10 cases (6.8%), and Ministry of National Defense direct command 6 cases (4.1%).

Established following the death of Sergeant Lee Yeram in May 2021, a victim of sexual violence within the military, the Military Human Rights Protection Officer is an organization that investigates human rights violations and discriminatory acts within the military and recommends corrective measures and policies. According to the amended Human Rights Commission Act in December 2021, the Minister of National Defense must notify the Military Human Rights Protection Officer of all deaths occurring in the military, and the Officer may attend death investigation scenes or conduct preliminary investigations via phone and documents.

During the year, the Military Human Rights Protection Officer conducted preliminary investigations on 94 death cases and attended the investigation scenes of 53 cases. Additionally, the NHRCK conducted an ex officio investigation into one of the 13 cases filed as complaints, involving an Army soldier who died from hemorrhagic fever during outdoor training in 2020. In four cases, military barracks irregularities were identified and recommendations for improvement were made. The remaining cases are still under investigation.

Since the launch of the Military Human Rights Protection Officer, complaints related to military human rights have reached 755 cases, a 30.6% increase compared to the same period last year. The number of cases processed also rose by 74.1% to 848.

※ If you or someone around you is experiencing difficult feelings such as depression or other hard-to-talk-about concerns, you can receive 24-hour professional counseling through the Suicide Prevention Hotline ☎1393, Mental Health Counseling Hotline ☎1577-0199, Lifeline ☎1588-9191, Youth Hotline ☎1388, the youth mobile counseling app 'Da Deureojul Gae,' KakaoTalk, and other channels.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.