Article From NewSis:
Soldier, Yoon, Dies of Beating, Appalling Harassment.
Violence continued after Yoon was treated with an IV, he limped along after an assault.
Alleged perpetrators made up a story as a cover-up saying that Yoon collapsed while watching TV.
A military human rights watchdog described Yoon’s death as “more brutal and savage than anything else that has ever happened in [our] military history.”
The military authorities gave disciplinary actions to 16 military officers, including regiment and battalion chiefs commanding the unit to which Yoo belonged, holding them accountable for poor oversight.
The picture shows the bruised upper body of Private First Class Yoon, who died of injuries from a beating in April 2014, after having suffered inhumane bullying since being assigned to his unit in December 2013.
Investigation shows harassment and bullying of unspeakable proportions of Private First Class of the Army 28th division, only identified by the surname Yoon, who died from injuries inflicted by senior soldiers in April.
Beatings by senior colleagues in the barracks made the 23-year-old Yoon walk with a limp, but the beatings continued with intensity. The probe into Yoon’s death reveals Yoon was beaten again, even after being treated for previous injuries from pas beatings with a therapeutic IV drip. At that time, he found it hard to stand on his own feet. More humiliating harassment includes a fellow soldier forcing him to apply anti-inflammatory ointment on his genitals.
The Ministry of Defense said in a statement on July 31st that five soldiers, including Sergeant Lee, are suspected of being responsible for Yoon’s death due to habitual beatings and acts of bullying, while another soldier is being prosecuted without physical detention on the charge of assault.
Army public relations director Choi Yong-han speaking at a regular press briefing stated on Yoon’s death by beating, “Five soldiers are charged with manslaughter while one is detained on assault charges. Their motivations will be laid bare in court since the trial for the six is proceeding.”
Choi declined to elaborate on why Yoon was targeted for beatings in the barracks, saying, “I will confirm this.”
According to military sources, the accused soldiers, including sergeant Lee, kept Yoon, who was assigned to his unit last December, awake by forcing him to hold a horse-riding stance until 3 a.m. in living quarters. They even coerced Yoon to eat a tube of toothpaste.
As if these grave acts of bullying were not enough, they poured a 1.5 liter of water on Yoon’s face while he was laying down. Yoon was also subject to inhumane torture such as being compelled to crawl on the floor on all fours like a dog and lick up spit.
Yoon was futher beaten after he developed a limp due previous assaults on him because he was “limping around.”
Staff Sergeant, Mo, turned a blind eye to the events even while Yoon was being beaten by the accused soldiers. There is even proof that Mo had joined the soldiers in beating Yoon.
As the incident gained media coverage, the accused soldiers appear to have attemted a cover-up, fabricating a story among the soldiers concerned that Yoon suddenly broke down while watching TV.
After confirming beatings and bullying of the deceased Yoon, military authorities have reprimanded military officers, including regiment and battalion chiefs who command the unit Yoon served in, citing their neglect of oversight.
In a separate press briefing on the same day, Lim Tae-hoon, chief of the Center for Military Human Rights Korea (CMHRK) said, “No death occurring in military units has been more brutal and barbarous than Yoon’s, which was then accompanied by a systematic attempt at a cover-up.
According to Lim, there are more cases where other soldiers have been bullied in the same unit the ill-fated Yoon served in.
Yoon was taken to the hospital after having been beaten by senior soldiers while he was eating on April 6th at around 4:25 p.m.
Unfortunately, the baeating caused food to block his airway, making Yoon suffer a shortage of oxygen causing brain damage and lose consciousness, leading to his death.
Almost torture: bullying and harassment that late Yoon sustained is reenacted.
Comments From Daum:
평화:
Let’s find out who are responsible, and don’t let Yoon’s death go unnoticed.
펭귄:
It seems to be a premeditated murder, not a negligent manslaughter.
아름다운세상:
(All this harassment and bullying explains why Sergeant Lim went on a shooting rampage.
빨간소독약: [responding to above]
Sergeant Lim shot his bullets to stay alive. He didn’t want to die like Yoon did.
필리파:
Sexual harassment against late Yoon mean the offenders are sexual criminals. They should be subject to jail terms and the revelation of their personal information and be made to wear electronic tracking devices after serving out their terms.[…]
하늘아하늘아:
I don’t know whether the world goes crazy because there are so many crazy bastards, or whether crazy people go rampant because the world gets crazy.
Article From Yonhap News:
Army Chief of Staff Offers to Resign as Government Vows to Make Example of Offenders in Yoon’s Death
Police chief also steps down after President Park spoke of declining trust in prosecution and the police, and of the need to hold accountable all those concerned.
President Park Geun-hye speaks in a cabinet meeting on Aug. 5th, 2014.
President Park Geun-hye slammed prosecutors and police in an Aug. 5th cabinet meeting for incompetency revealed by the beating and death of Private First Class Yoon, as well as the manhunt for Yoo Byung-eun, the owner of the sunken Sewol ferry. About 8 hours after her strong criticism, Chief of the military and police offer to resign. The presidential office of Blue House is reported to accept the resignations.
The announcement of Army Chief of Staff General Kwon Oh-sung’s resignation came at around 5:30 p.m., after President Park declared there will be harsh punishment for those involved in the latest deadly abuse in military barracks.
General Kwon said at an emergency audit on Aug. 4th of the defense committee at the National Assembly, “I feel deeply responsible, and apologize,” but he did not make any specific comments on his resignation.
The police chief’s announcement to step down also follows after President Park blamed police over the friction with prosecution as they were trying to identify the corpse of Yoo Byung-eun saying, “Those responsible should be held accountable.”
After a five-day vacation, President Park appears to be conscious of deteriorating public sentiment over the beating and death of Yoon in military barracks, proclaiming stern countermeasures and prompting the two dignitaries to stand down from their posts.
[…]
Army Chief of Staff General Kwon Oh-sung is present at an Aug. 4th parliamentary audit of the death of Private First Class Yoon.
Comments From Naver:
sayb****:
One private first class blew out a four star general.
siee****: [responding to the above comment]
Perhaps 20 stars in total will be sacked after all.
sund****:
I think the army chief of staff was dismissed because he knew the details of the incident but brushed them off. As far as I know, he ordered the eradication of violence in military units, how couldn’t he know about this incident?
forg****:
The battalion commander of Yoon’s unit has only gotten a 3 month suspension- does it make sense? What a farce. ㅋㅋ
lks6****: [responding to above]
Any suspension for military officers in Korea is just an end to military life. He can’t get promoted any more. He has got to quit his military career.
puki****: [responding to forg****’s comment]
Have the battalion commander disqualified for his military pension.
yybl****:
When things are troubling, those responsible should not only be sacked but also deprived of the military pension. Only by doing so, it is possible for people to act responsibly. Submitting a resignation is thought to be a solution to quiet criticism, so at first people attempt a cover-up, while the the military is rotting.
sain****:
Stepping down is a cure-all in Korean society. ㅋㅋ How ridiculous it is. ㅋㅋ
leey****:
I can’t see the resignation as anything other than a way to evade responsibility.
