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muriel_volestrangler

(101,295 posts) Sat Jun 21, 2014, 01:38 PM Jun 2014

South Korean soldier 'kills five comrades, wounds five'

Source: BBC

A South Korean soldier has shot dead five comrades, injured five more and fled from an outpost near the border with North Korea, officials say.

The army private opened fire on fellow soldiers on Saturday evening at a post in the eastern Gangwon province.

It is not yet clear what motivated him to kill his colleagues. A man hunt is now under way.

Tensions between the North and South have been high, but there is no sign this was a cross-border incident.

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-27957588

6 replies

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South Korean soldier 'kills five comrades, wounds five' (Original Post) muriel_volestrangler Jun 2014 OP

Does South Korea have compulsory military service? marble falls Jun 2014 #1

According to Wikipedia, yes. christx30 Jun 2014 #2

The Constitutional Duties is an interesting method of motivating people davidpdx Jun 2014 #4

Although someone answered it, I can give more details since I live in Korea davidpdx Jun 2014 #3

Shootings are rare here, but not unheard of davidpdx Jun 2014 #5

Fugitive South Korean soldier captured after failed suicide attempt muriel_volestrangler Jun 2014 #6

marble falls

(57,063 posts)

1. Does South Korea have compulsory military service?

Reply to muriel_volestrangler (Original post)

Sat Jun 21, 2014, 03:58 PM

Jun 2014

christx30

(6,241 posts)

2. According to Wikipedia, yes.

Reply to marble falls (Reply #1)

Sat Jun 21, 2014, 04:15 PM

Jun 2014

Conscription, or mandatory military service or compulsory national service, is legislated in South Korea, with military service stated as one of the Four Constitutional Duties (along with taxes, education, and labor) for all citizens. The current Conscription Law, however, applies only to males, aged between 18 and 35,[1] although women are allowed to enroll in the Reserve Officers' Training Corps as of 2010.[

davidpdx

(22,000 posts)

4. The Constitutional Duties is an interesting method of motivating people

Reply to christx30 (Reply #2)

Sat Jun 21, 2014, 11:50 PM

Jun 2014

I've had students write about those. It is drilled into them that they have a duty to their country.

davidpdx

(22,000 posts)

3. Although someone answered it, I can give more details since I live in Korea

Reply to marble falls (Reply #1)

Sat Jun 21, 2014, 11:46 PM

Jun 2014

Men have to serve 21 months in the military and I believe generally it has to be before they are 25. There are deferments for certain reasons like medical problems, some types of schooling (I have Korean medicine students who have to go serve after they graduate).

One of my former students had some kind of problem with his ears and was deferred to like a community service type job where he worked at the local office. Some work as drivers. Those in the army do all kind of jobs depending upon what they are assigned. Some of them sit up on the boarder when it is freezing cold eating stuff out of a can (I can't imagine how depressing that is). The males who are in university generally go in after their second year and then come back after their military service. I teach at a university and we were told that we will have a large number of returning males in the fall and next spring which will boost enrollment (more students, bigger classes). I have seen a lot of the males come back from military service and they are much more disciplined and work harder. The males see it as a duty to their country.

Personally I think if there is mandatory service it should be both males and females. Then again, I just live here I have nothing to do with making the laws..

davidpdx

(22,000 posts)

5. Shootings are rare here, but not unheard of

Reply to muriel_volestrangler (Original post)

Sat Jun 21, 2014, 11:58 PM

Jun 2014

Apparently something similar happened in 2011 and then again back in 2005. Here are two articles from the same paper as both give different details on the shooting and past incidents:

http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20140621000200

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2014/06/205_159538.html

muriel_volestrangler

(101,295 posts)

6. Fugitive South Korean soldier captured after failed suicide attempt

Reply to muriel_volestrangler (Original post)

Mon Jun 23, 2014, 07:01 AM

Jun 2014

A South Korean soldier who fled after allegedly killing five colleagues has been captured following a failed suicide attempt, according to the defence ministry in Seoul.

The 22-year-old sergeant surnamed Lim shot himself on the side of his abdomen. He was being taken to a nearby hospital, said a ministry official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. He gave no further details.
...
On Sunday, he fired at the troops chasing him, injuring a platoon leader. On Monday, officials said a South Korean soldier was wounded by suspected friendly fire.

Earlier on Monday, troops surrounded him so closely in the forest that they could throw him a mobile phone, so he could talk to his father, as well as bread and bottled water. His parents were also brought to the area to try to persuade him to turn himself in.

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/23/south-korean-fugitive-soldier-captured-failed-suicide-attempt

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