Missing marine found dead, anger expressed at safety measures

Social Affairs

Published: 20 Jul. 2023, 19:07 Updated: 20 Jul. 2023, 19:35

Missing marine found dead, anger expressed at safety measures

A memorial altar for Marine Lance Corporal Chae Su-geun was set up in Pohang, North Gyeongsang, on Thursday. The Marine died after falling into rapid currents of the Naeseong Stream in Yecheon County, North Gyeongsang, while searching for people missing from last week's heavy rains. [YONHAP]

A Marine lance corporal who was swept away by strong currents Wednesday morning while searching for people missing from last week’s heavy rains in Yecheon County, North Gyeongsang, was found dead.

Officials from the Gyeongbuk Fire Service Headquarters and Marine Corps announced that 20-year-old Lance Corporal Chae Su-geun was discovered at around 11:08 p.m. on Wednesday downstream of the Naeseong Stream where he had gone missing.

The fire authority said the marine was found by a special rescue team and a drone team during a nighttime search the same day.

On Thursday, the Marine Corps launched a probe into the death of the Marine amid public criticisms over poor safety measures for personnel deployed for search and rescue operations.

“Life vests were not offered to participants of the search and rescue operation near the [Naeseong] stream,” Lieutenant Colonel Choi Yong-sun, a Marine Corps spokesperson, said in a regular briefing, adding that the Marines should have worn life vests at the scene.

“We are looking into the decisions made at the site and will improve [related] regulations and guidelines.”

The Marine Corps offered its condolences over Chae’s death and posthumously promoted him to corporal

At the site of the accident, the marine’s parents expressed resentment, asking why their son was not wearing a life vest during the search.

“Why was he not wearing a life vest? Are life vests that expensive?” the Marine’s father was quoted as asking a Marine Corps commander.

Chae's memorial altar was set up in Pohang, North Gyeongsang, on Thursday, and will be opened to the public through Friday night.

The Marine disappeared into the stream's rapids at around 9:03 a.m. Wednesday while searching with his comrades, who had been dispatched to the area on Tuesday for search and rescue operations after heavy monsoon rains and landslides.

The Marine disappeared after suddenly falling into rapid currents with two other Marines. The other two managed to swim to safety.

The Marines were among 3,630 people deployed to Yecheon on Wednesday for the rescue mission, which included firefighters, police and military personnel. Some 1,140 pieces of equipment were also mobilized, such as excavators and dump trucks.

A helicopter carrying the body of a Marine lance corporal who went missing on Wednesday morning in Yecheon County, North Gyeongsang, and was later found dead takes off as his comrades pay their respects. The Marine was in a search operation for heavy rain victims. [YONHAP]

President Yoon Suk Yeol on Thursday expressed his condolences over the death of the Marine lance corporal.

The president also promised a thorough investigation to prevent similar accidents and to pay the utmost respect to the deceased, according to presidential spokesman Lee Do-woon.

As of Thursday at 6 p.m., there still were four people missing from last week’s flooding and landslides, including three in Yecheon.

A total of 46 deaths have been counted in connection to last week’s rains as of Thursday at 6 p.m. — 24 in North Gyeongsang, followed by 17 in North Chungcheong, four in South Chungcheong and one in Sejong.

Police and the National Forensic Service on Thursday launched a joint investigation on an underpass in Osong-eup, Cheongju in North Chungcheong that resulted in 14 casualties.

Heavy rainfall last Saturday flooded the 430-meter (1,411-foot) long and 4.5-meter-high underpass after a temporary sand levee along the nearby Miho River broke.

The underpass will become available as early as the end of next month after investigations and checkups have been concluded.

The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters on Wednesday night leveled the emergency response posture down by two notches from its highest level of the three-tier system activated last Wednesday as heavy rain warnings were lifted across the country.

However, the Korea Meteorological Administration forecasts another downpour will arrive in the country over the weekend and possibly affect the country through Monday.

BY CHO JUNG-WOO, LEE SUNG-EUN [cho.jungwoo1@joongang.co.kr]