MND Carries Out Human Rights Education; Sets up Plan to Deal with Maladjusted Soldiers and to Increase Credibility of Internal Investigations into Active-Duty Deaths
On October 28th, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) notified the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) that it has been carrying out the NHRC recommendation—to undertake a thorough investigation and implement human rights education—in relation to a April 2003 case in which an army private committed suicide.
In accordance with the findings of the army headquarters investigation, the following actions were taken.
(1) Major Yoon was indicted for violating article 62 of the Military Criminal Code on 9 October 2003.
(2) The soldiers at the base where the army private had been stationed have undergone 5 education sessions and 3 meetings on this issue.
(3) To address the issue of active duty servicemen having difficulty adjusting to life at the base, a system was implemented. According to this system, the first 100 days a new soldier is stationed at a new base is designated a special period for: (A) forming relationships between officers and soldiers, (B) receiving focused guidance from officers assigned to be “guardians,” (C) setting up a suggestions box for soldiers, (D) receiving “care” phone calls, (E) receiving counseling from commanding officers.
(4) In order to address the question of internal investigation credibility, when issues arise, the army has set up a professional, on-site probe that is making efforts to: (A) arrange for civilian autopsy of deceased soldiers as demanded by surviving family members, and bring in a civilian investigator to the internal army investigation of the death, and (B) outline a model for dealing with death cases and follow-up.
However, the Ministry of National Defense also revealed that these new institutions would not apply to cases of “clear suicide by active-duty servicemen.”
