A military truck hit a telegraph pole Thursday as it was returning to its unit after off-base exercises, resulting in the death of one solider and injuries to 12 others, police and military officials said.
A further two soldiers were injured when a second military vehicle overturned on its way to the crash site as part of rescue efforts, officials said.
The first crash happened shortly after 9 a.m. when the five-ton truck crashed into the telegraph pole beside a national highway near Chuncheon, 85 kilometers east of Seoul, en route to the soldier's unit after completing field training earlier in the day, officials said.
The accident resulted in the death of a 20-year-old corporal, identified only by his surname Pyo, and 12 others were wounded. They were later taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
Another military vehicle was dispatched shortly after the accident to rescue those in the truck, but it overturned about 5-6 kilometers before reaching the scene, injuring two soldiers, officials said.
"The accident occurred while (the soldiers) were returning to their unit after completing field training," a military official said, noting the drill was separate from Ulchi Freedom Guardian, a computer-simulated annual training jointly held by South Korea and the U.S. that runs through Aug. 31.
An investigation is underway to find the cause of the accident, officials said.
All able-bodied South Korean males between the ages of 18 and 35 must serve in the military for about two years, as the two Koreas remain technically at war because the 1950-53 Korean War ended only in a ceasefire. (Yonhap)