Human Rights Commission: "Extension Needed for Military Death Accident Investigation Committee's Activity Period"

The National Human Rights Commission of Korea (NHRCK) announced on the 14th that it has expressed the opinion to the President and the Speaker of the National Assembly that the activity period of the Military Death Accident Investigation Committee (Military Death Committee), which investigates unexplained death incidents that occurred in the military in the past, needs to be extended.

The NHRCK submitted the opinion to the President that the investigation period of the Military Death Committee, whose term expires on the 13th of next month, needs to be extended. Additionally, it emphasized to the Speaker of the National Assembly that the 'Special Act on the Investigation of Military Death Accidents' amendment bill, currently pending in the National Assembly, should be promptly reviewed and processed.

Unexplained death incidents during military service became a social issue following the case of the late Lieutenant Kim Hoon in February 1998. Subsequently, as calls for investigative activities increased, the Presidential Military Investigation Committee was launched on January 1, 2006, and operated until December 31, 2009. Later, on September 14, 2018, the Presidential Military Death Committee was established and is approaching the expiration of its activity period on the 13th of next month.

The NHRCK stated, "There is a need to restore the honor of the numerous unexplained deceased and their bereaved families and to ensure fairness in veterans' benefits," adding, "Due to the minimization of commanders' responsibility for command and supervision or the past military death investigation system's administrative errors and mistakes, investigative activities are inevitable."

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