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| Army sergeant, who went on a shooting rampage at a base in Goseong, Gangwon Province, leaving military court after his first hearing on Sept. 18, 2014. / Yonhap |
By Lee Han-soo
The recent suicide of a conscript in 22 Infantry Division has again put the spotlight on the division's cycle of suicides because of alleged bullying.
The private first class jumped to his death on July 19 during a visit to the Armed Forces Capital Hospital.
In a suicide note, he said that every moment of his life had been agony. He apologized to his mother for his actions.
There has been a public outcry since Military Human Rights Korea (MHRK) claimed that the infantry division knew about the bullying, but did little to stop the soldier from killing himself.
"The army had known about the bullying through a distress counsel with the private first class on July 14," MHRK said in a press release. "However, the military did not take sufficient action, such as separating the soldier from his attackers."
After the press release, the Korean literature department of Hongik University, the soldier's alma mater, demanded a thorough investigation.
It is not the first time the 22nd Infantry Division has been the focus of tragedy.
A soldier hanged himself from a tree after he returned from his five-day leave in January.
His parents claimed he resorted to extreme measures after his superiors bullied him.
In 2014, a sergeant, surnamed Lim, went on a shooting rampage at a base in Goseong, Gangwon Province, leaving people five dead and seven wounded.
Kim then fled and tried to shoot himself with an assault rifle but was captured two days later.
Lim claimed that he went on the rampage because of severe bullying.
A military court sentenced him to death in February, and the military appellate court confirmed the sentence.
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