Defense ministry's advisory committee vows efforts to prevent deaths in military

This file photo taken on Feb. 13, 2023, shows the father of a late Army private speaking at a press conference at the Center for Military Human Rights Korea in western Seoul. Yonhap

A defense ministry advisory committee visited a military front-line unit Tuesday as part of its efforts to prevent deaths and accidents in the military following a string of such cases.

Members of the military-civilian special advisory committee visited an Army unit in Inje, some 120 kilometers northeast of Seoul, where an Army private took his own life after suffering from bullying from three fellow soldiers in November 2022.

A funeral for the private will be belatedly held from Tuesday for three days after an appeals court handed down jail terms to the soldiers last week.

The committee members also inspected the unit's living conditions, reviewed prevention measures for military accidents leading to deaths, and discussed measures to complement current systems in place.

"The committee examined the unit's ongoing efforts and difficulties in preventing accidents and pledged to bring about a paradigm shift that would lead to a substantial reduction in military deaths," said professor Park Chan-un of Hanyang University Law School, who heads the subcommittee.

The advisory committee was launched last month as part of defense reform aimed at coming up with measures to prevent deaths or accidents in the military.