If a soldier was denied treatment and cancer spread, he should receive compensation from the government, the court ruled Wednesday.
Shin, 25, was healthy at the time of his enlistment in September 2009. In August the following year, he couldn’t close his left eye.
He reported to his superior, but nothing was done. He was ordered to keep on practicing, according to his statement. Three months passed, and he started to suffer from facial paralysis.
He couldn’t even swallow food. He took only liquid food, and he couldn’t get up without help of others, according to his military record.
With his physical conditions compromised, he had to complete his shifts day and night. When he visited a military hospital, the doctor there said nothing was wrong. He took a leave of absence, and went to a larger hospital.
It was then that he was diagnosed with thymus cancer with severe myasthenia, which is a lot like being lethargic. By then, the cancer had already metastasized to his lung, heart and blood vessels.
He got out of the military and had an operation, after which he had chemotherapy. He asked to be registered as a person of national merit, but his request was denied.
He then sued Seoul Regional Office of Patriots & Veterans Affairs in November 2011, and the court ruled in his favor.
The judge said in the ruling, “Had he been to the hospital earlier, his disease might have been cured. The military is responsible for its negligence in not carrying out the physical diagnosing, thereby exacerbating his condition. Military training might not have caused the cancer, but it made Shin’s condition worse. He should register as a person of national merit.”