Defense chief calls for safety measures

By Jung Sung-ki

Defense Minister Kim Tae-young directed all branches of the country’s armed forces Thursday to implement safety measures to prevent accidents during training exercises.

Kim apologized for the recent fatal accidents involving service members of the Army, Navy and Air Force, Kim’s spokesman said.

“Minister Kim expressed deep concern over a series of accidents in recent days during a meeting with senior ministry officials,” ministry spokesman Won Tae-jae said. “He directed each military service to devise practical measures to prevent accidents.”

The Ministry of National Defense itself will also look for ways to prevent the recurrence of fatal accidents, the spokesman said.

The military has been hit by a series of accidents in recent weeks, raising questions of a lack of discipline or proper safety measures.

On Wednesday, an inflatable boat with eight Army engineers on board capsized during a river-crossing training exercise on the southern Han River.

The soldiers were conducting a training exercise ahead of the Hoguk exercise slated for next week, which will involve about 70,000 troops from the three military services.

Three of them died and another is in a coma, according to the Army. The remaining four are in hospital for treatment.

The soldiers were all wearing life vests.

A team of 27 Army investigators are conducting a probe into the cause of the accident. An investigator said the bereaved soldiers are believed to have been swept 500 meters to 1 kilometer away by strong currents.

The investigation team decided to allow family members of the bereaved troops to participate in an on-site inspection, Army officials said.

On Nov. 10, a Navy patrol ship collided with a fishing boat in waters off the southern island of Jeju, killing three sailors.

Two days later, an RF-4C surveillance aircraft of the Air Force crashed into a mountain in North Jeolla Province. Two pilots lost their lives in the accident.