Defense Ministry bans harsh physical discipline for raw recruits after trainee death

Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho, far left, holds a meeting on Thursday with leaders from key military branches to discuss preventive measures to avoid accidents in boot camps. [YONHAP]

Demanding physical disciplinary training will be banned for trainee soldiers, according to the Ministry of National Defense Thursday.

This decision follows the death of a conscript who died two days after collapsing during a military disciplinary session last month.

The ministry met earlier Thursday with leaders from key military branches to discuss preventive measures to avoid accidents in boot camps.

The ministry said trainee soldiers will be prohibited from undergoing excessive physical training, such as walking with full combat gear or running during disciplinary measures, citing their lack of physical readiness for such discipline.

Discipline sessions will now focus solely on mental training, including tasks such as writing letters of reflection or practicing meditation.

Additionally, the authority to approve discipline sessions has been elevated from company commanders to battalion commanders, although this change applies only in the Army due to the distinct organizational structures of other branches.

Earlier Thursday, Gangwon police referred two Army commanders involved in the conscript’s death to prosecutors.

The suspects are accused of ordering six recruits from their unit to undergo an excessive disciplinary session in Inje, Gangwon, on May 23 while violating relevant training rules and neglecting a sick conscript, which led to his death.

The recruit, who joined the Army on May 13, was reportedly told to run around the unit's training ground and perform push-ups in full combat gear, despite relevant rules banning such demanding exercises in full gear.

The police investigation revealed that the commanders also failed to notify the recruits in advance about the discipline session and did not allow them to defend themselves, both of which are breaches of regulations.

The recruit’s autopsy confirmed that the cause of death was organ failure due to heatstroke.

BY LEE HAY-JUNE, WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]