[2023 National Audit] Military Turning Guns on Own Troops... Assaults Up 30% in 3 Years

Over the past three years, incidents of assault among soldiers in the Army, Navy, and Air Force have increased by 30%.

According to the 'Number of Assault Cases Involving Soldiers in the Army, Navy, and Air Force Over the Past Three Years' submitted by the Ministry of National Defense to Ki Dong-min, a member of the National Defense Committee of the National Assembly from the Democratic Party of Korea, on the 26th, the total number of assault cases involving soldiers in the Army, Navy, and Air Force last year reached 1,187, a 29.4% increase compared to 2019.

Kidoongmin, Floor Spokesperson of the Democratic Party of Korea (Photo by Yonhap News)

Comparing by branch, the Navy recorded 440 assault cases involving soldiers last year, a 46.7% increase from 300 cases in 2019, while the Air Force saw a sharp rise from 35 to 102 cases, a 191.4% surge during the same period. The Army increased from 582 to 645 cases, a 10.8% rise.

Cases of sexual crimes against soldiers have also been on the rise. Looking at the number of sexual crime cases involving soldiers in the Army, Navy, and Air Force over the past three years, last year the total number of sexual crime cases increased by 61.4% compared to 2019, reaching 544 cases.

By branch, the Navy saw an 82.4% increase, the Air Force 150%, and the Army 41.5%.

Prosecutions have also increased in line with the rise in assault and sexual crime cases among soldiers. The Navy had 55 prosecutions in 2019, which increased by 96.4% to 108 last year. The Army’s prosecutions rose from 156 to 200, a 28.2% increase, and the Air Force’s prosecutions surged from 13 to 45, a 246.2% increase. Prosecutions for sexual crime cases also rose by 120.3%, from 133 in 2019 to 293 last year.

Rep. Ki said, "Despite the steady increase in chronic assault and sexual crime cases within the military, the Ministry of National Defense and each branch have yet to accurately identify the exact causes of these crimes," adding, "Along with firm punishment by military judicial authorities, it is necessary to establish an efficient prevention and education system through detailed analysis of crime cases and types, as well as surveys, to foster a human rights-friendly military culture."

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