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What's going on in the Military?
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Up to now, military and police investigating the initial group of photos had taken the view that the shots were spontaneous and soldiers were just being playful with no harmful intent.
But critics believe the majority of the uncomplimentary pictures show malpractice, the so-called "eolcharyu" (teaching lessons), that has long been prevalent in the military services. Several kinds of abuse, including some that have led to suicide, have been reported over the years in the nation's conscript forces, in which all able-bodied men are required to serve a mandatory 24 months. In some cases, for instance, soldiers were forced to try to run while squatting or stand naked on snow-covered military training grounds.
On June 19 last week, a 22-year-old army private killed eight soldiers and wounded four in a grenade and shooting rampage along the DMZ which he later said was in retaliation against colleagues who had bullied him. The latest photos show one soldier with his body soaked in puddles of water, another with his head stuck in a urinal and buttocks scribbled on with toothpaste, or others showering in a group. In one picture, a soldier assumed to be a new recruit, appears embarrassed while being made to take off his briefs and a senior officer making a V gesture on his genitals. A caricature of a smiling face and mosaics were superimposed on the pictures with cartoon-like bubbles added containing the words, "I'm sorry, man," "How come you behave like that when it's not supposed to do?" "This is way bad."
Oh Chang-ik, general director of Citizens' Solidarity for Human Rights, said, "This is a manifest crime. It's not something to be ignored. The military authorities should thoroughly investigate these photos and reveal the dark side of military." The government and the ruling Uri Party agreed yesterday to revise the military criminal law to impose maximum sentences of three years in prison or five million won in fines on any officer found guilty of bullying junior soldiers or riot policemen.
A 22-year-old Korean Army private threw a hand grenade and sprayed bullets at fellow soldiers early yesterday morning in a barracks near the inter-Korean border, killing eight and wounding two others. The private, who is under arrest, told investigators he had been verbally abused by his superiors.
The Army said that at 2:30 a.m. as soldiers at a guard post in Yeoncheon-gun, northern Gyeonggi province, were sleeping, Private First-Class Kim Dong-min tossed a hand grenade into the barracks and fired as many as 44 rounds. Twenty-five men were inside the barracks, where six were fatally wounded. Private Kim then went to a rest area nearby and fired a rifle at First Lieutenant Kim Jong-myeong, the commander of the guard post, located about 65 kilometers (40 miles) northeast of Seoul. Private Kim also shot another soldier in a kitchen. Both men died. Three soldiers were wounded from the grenade explosion in the barrack, and Corporal Lee Geon-wuk died while the military was transferring him to a hospital, bringing the number of dead to eight.
Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-ung expressed his condolences to the families of the victims and issued an apology to the nation for the "shocking incident." President Roh Moo-hyun also ordered the minister to thoroughly investigate the incident and to take measures to prevent a recurrence. The Army said the unit had not been able immediately to identify Private Kim after the incident as the one responsible for the killings.
The officer who was next in command ordered the unit to gather at a drill ground. There, rifle magazines of the unit members were checked and Private Kim was identified, Brigadier General Jang Seok-gyu, the Army's public affairs and troops information director, said at a news briefing. The military said Private Kim did not resist being taken into custody. He is undergoing questioning about his motive.
"Private Kim returned to the barrack after his patrol duty and lost his temper when he saw the superior who had been verbally abusing him," General Jang said. "According to our investigation so far, there had been no physical violence directed against Private Kim in the past."
General Jang said Private Kim began his military service at the guard post in January and had no history of mental instability. According to the Army, Private Kim fired his own bullets, but used a rifle that was stored inside the barrack. Because the guard post is located at the closest point to the inter-Korean border, soldiers on guard duty are allowed to carry hand grenades. Rifles are stored inside barracks without locking devices.
Concluding that "something's clearly wrong," General Jang said the Army would release further explanations when investigators finish their questioning of Private Kim.
Bodies of the dead soldiers were sent to military hospitals. Families of the victims said they could not understand how the incident happened.
First Lieutenant Kim, the head of the guard post, was killed 10 days before completing his military duty. His grandmother, Han Gui-nim, burst into tears. "How can this happen to my grandson?" the 88-year-old woman asked at home in North Jeolla province.
Question
1. Have you seen or heard about the military these days? How do you feel?
2. Do you have any male siblings? How do you feel about the military these days?
3. How do you think about Private Kim's action and the incident he caused?
4. What action should be taken in these situations?(Us, Government..so on)
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