Military to ban physical discipline training in boot camp
An ambulance enters the main gate of the 32nd Infantry Division of the Army in Sejong, some 113 kilometers south of Seoul, after a grenade exploded during a training session at a boot camp, May 21. Yonhap
The defense ministry said Thursday it has decided to ban physical discipline training in boot camp in the wake of the recent death of an Army conscript after a grueling disciplinary session.
Last month, the soldier died two days after collapsing during the session that involved running laps and performing push-ups in full combat gear at a boot camp in Inje County, 126 kilometers northeast of Seoul.
In a meeting led by Vice Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho on Thursday, senior defense and military officials decided to restrict physical disciplinary sessions for troops in boot camp as part of follow-up measures to last month's incident, according to the ministry.
Discipline training usually takes place when soldiers commit minor violations of rules or their commander's orders.
As part of efforts to improve boot camp safety, the Army also decided to hold grenade training sessions over three weeks instead of the current two weeks to help trainee soldiers better understand the explosive weapon.
The move comes after another recruit died last month in a grenade explosion during a training session at a boot camp in Sejong, 113 km south of Seoul.
All able-bodied South Korean men are required to serve at least 18 months in the military in a country facing constant security threats from North Korea. (Yonhap)