by REERA YOO
The South Korean army said it has punished its two major generals over the two violent incidents that prompted criticism over the military’s long history of abuse and bullying this year, reported Yonhap.
Lim, an army sergeant in his early 20s, went on a shooting rampage near the North Korean border, killing five of his comrades and wounding seven others, back in June. He reportedly fled to the forest after the shooting, but was captured after he shot himself in his abdomen in a failed suicide attempt.
At the time of the incident, the military was unable to pinpoint Lim’s motive for the mass shootings, but said Lim was previously categorized as needing “special attention,” meaning he was determined to be at a high risk of committing suicide, according to ministry data. Investigators later discovered that Lim was bullied by his comrades before he went on his shooting rampage, reported Yonhap.
The military said it has cut one month’s wage from the major general in charge of Lim’s division as punishment. Another major general has been ordered to be on his best behavior for 10 days over the death of Private Yoon, who was bullied and fatally beaten to death by his comrades.
In April, Yoon died of asphyxiation after allegedly choking on food while he was being beaten by his comrades. The incident prompted the army chief of staff Kwon Oh-sung to resign as the public criticized the military officials for initially trying to cover up the abuse of the private.
The South Korean army has identified the generals only by their surnames, Seo and Lee.
Last month, two soldiers died during an anti-captivity training exercise, presumably due to suffocation. Since then, there has been even more public outcry over the military’s deep-rooted culture of abuse.
Featured photo via Yonhap
