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Hazing in the Republic of Korea Armed Forces

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Enlistment ceremony for conscripts at the Korea Army Training Center in South Korea

Hazing in the Republic of Korea Armed Forces refers to the widespread hazing and bullying carried out among military personnel, often to conscripts and junior members in South Korea. Hazing has been enforced and encouraged mainly under the pretext of establishing military discipline and hierarchy. Hazing has resulted in a large number of fragging, shooting spree and suicide cases; such cases of suicide are referred to as non-combat casualties by the military.[1]

Such hazing has ranged from physical violence to malicious harassment, sexual violence, verbal abuse, to other forms of abuse, with some even resulting in death. Other forms of hazing have also included being beaten with a heated object[2] and being forced to eat bugs.[3] Such hazing in the South Korean military has led to numerous major incidents, including a series of suicides and gun shootings.[4][5]

History

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The Republic of Korea Armed Forces originates from the Korean Liberation Army, formed in response to Japanese occupation and attempts at colonization during World War II. The Ministry of National Defense (South Korea) specifies the roots of its armed forces as the Korean Liberation Army, which organized to liberate Korea from Japanese colonial rule during WWII. However, in the process of establishing the Korean Army under the command of the U.S. military government after liberation from Japanese colonial rule, military generals from Manchukuo Imperial Army and Japanese Army were at the center of the Korean Army.[6] As such, the Japanese military culture was forced onto Korean military culture; normalizing beating, other forms of physical abuse, a strict ranking culture and hierarchy system, and an emphasis on mental perseverance by enduring harsh behavior. The same culture and values have remained as remnants of the Japanese occupation of Korea.[7]

In addition, the system of conscription in South Korea which requires male citizens between the ages of 18 and 28 to perform compulsory military service, a lack of transparency from the South Korean military, and a larger culture of hierarchal abuse continue to perpetuate hazing in the South Korean military.[8]

Critics have also noted that LGBT South Korean soldiers are particularly targeted and vulnerable to hazing and extreme abuse during conscription.[9]

Current situation

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About 60 percent of the deaths in the South Korean military are suicides each year.[10] According to the research, it has been confirmed that severe beatings, physical abuse, verbal abuse, and sexual violence have significant effects on the suicidal impulse of the respondent.[11]

The following data is an annual comparison of total deaths and suicides in the military from 1994 to 2019.[12]

　 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Total death 343 416 330 359 273 248 230 182 164 158 150 135 124 128 121 134 113 129 143 111 117 101 93 81 75 86 86
Suicide 129 155 100 103 92 102 101 82 66 79 69 67 64 77 80 75 81 82 97 72 79 67 57 54 51 56 62

While the true cause of such high suicide rates among South Korean military soldiers have been debated, research has shown that hazing, anger, depressive symptoms, and suicidal ideation were positively linked and that hazing is a significant predictor of high levels of anger and depressive symptoms.[13] Others have also argued that rather than the isolation of conscription into the military, a culture of hierarchy in the military and senior soldiers abusing their power are the cause of high suicide rates among South Korean military soldiers.[14]

Government actions

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South Korea's Defense Ministry issued a decree in 2011 to root out hazing in the South Korean military.[15] To ensure anonymous reporting, the agency also provides a service called Defense Help Call to receive reports of all possible crimes and violence that could lead to a suicide.[16] The South Korean government also established a military human rights center to further ensure the human rights of South Korean military soldiers.[17]

Recently, the South Korean government is preparing a policy to lower conscription standards for mental and physical conditions that would previously be considered exempt, as it fears that the nation's low birthrate will lead to fewer conscripts; South Korea had the lowest fertility rate in the world in 2020 and 2021.[18] However, experts warn such actions will eventually lead to even wider problems by recruiting personnel who would not be able to adapt to the closed military.[19]

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Since 80% of Korean men are conscripted soldiers[20] and as hazing is common in South Korean culture, there have been many references and discussions in South Korean popular culture. Depictions of hazing and a larger culture of abuse and authority in the South Korean military have been presented through films, TV shows, animations, webtoons, and reality TV.

Title Media type Year Description
The Unforgiven (2005 film) Film 2005 A South Korean drama film directed by Yoon Jong-bin which depict his own painful experiences of compulsory military service through the narrative of three young men in the South Korean military.
Window Animated Short 2012 A short cartoon of Choi Kyu-seok and Yeon Sang-ho in a human rights cartoon book called 사이시옷. It deals with the abuse, beatings and torture issues that occur in the military.
푸른 거탑 TV 2012 A humorous drama about a Korean barracks.
노병가 Webtoon N/A A webtoon about harsh hazing in conscript policemen in the mid-200s.
이하동문입니다. Film N/A A film produced by the Army Headquarters of the Republic of Korea Army. Although there is a military-made one, there is a scene in which he assaulted a senior soldier in protest of the beating and prevented him from abusing his successor after being imprisoned.
Real Man TV 2013-2016 A South Korean variety show featuring eight male celebrities as they experience life in the military, which is mandatory for all mentally sound and able-bodied Korean men for two years.
Real Man 300 TV 2018-2019 A South Korean reality program featuring male and female celebrities as they experience life in the military. It is a spin-off of reality program Real Man which had ended in 2016.
D.P. TV 2021-2023 A Netflix Original series adapted from the webtoon of the same name by Kim Bo-Tong, follows a newly conscripted South Korean soldier in his experience of military life and subsequent recruitment into "D.P." a.k.a the Deserter Pursuit unit which is responsible for tracking and bringing back deserters.

Notable incidents resulting from hazing

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  • June 2005 - The 28th Infantry Division (Gyeonggi-do Yeoncheon). A 22-year-old South Korean private who had been hazed by his superiors killed eight soldiers early Sunday morning at a guard post at the demilitarized zone.
  • July 2011 – Second Marine Division shooting spree.[21]
  • July 2013 – Suicide of Private Kim.[22]
  • April 2014 - The 28th Infantry Division (Gyeonggi-do Yeoncheon). Private Yoon Seung-joo, 23, died in April after being beaten and denied food and sleep.
  • June 2014 – Gangwon-do Goseong shooting spree.[23]
  • September 2015 – Suicide at GP.[24]
  • 22 July 2017 – Infantry Private Goh committed suicide by jumping.[25]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ 박휘락. (2014). 한국군의 악성 병영사고 예방책들의 평가와 대안. 한국의회학회보, 3(1), 155–177. Park, Hwee Rhak. (2014). An Evaluation and Alternatives on Preventive Measures of South Korean Armed Forces in the wake of Serious Accidents in the Barracks. The Korean Parliamentary Studies Review, 3(1), 155–177.
  2. ^ "Beat with heated spoon". The Chosun Ilbo.
  3. ^ "type of hazing". khan news.
  4. ^ "Soldiers jailed over South Korea bullying death". BBC. 30 October 2014. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  5. ^ Griffiths, James; Kwon, Jake; Hancocks, Paula (11 July 2019). "Gay and trans soldiers say they were abused in South Korean military". CNN. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  6. ^ "Foundation of Republic of Korea Armed Forces". Ilyo news.
  7. ^ "이게 다 식민지 잔재 때문일까? 한홍구.「」201112이게 다 식민지 잔재 때문일까?". 이게 다 식민지 잔재 때문일까?.
  8. ^ Cain, Geoffrey. "Hazing In The South Korean Army Sounds Out Of Control". Business Insider. Retrieved 2021-08-28.
  9. ^ Hancocks, By James Griffiths, Jake Kwon and Paula (2019-07-11). "Gay and trans soldiers say they were abused in South Korean military". CNN. Retrieved 2021-08-28.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ "Portion of suicide in military death". Korea JoongAng Daily.
  11. ^ "한국사회의 군대문화와 군의문사형성에 대한 사회학적 고찰". 윤민재.「」200712한국사회의 군대문화와 군의문사형성에 대한 사회학적 고찰.
  12. ^ "Government stat".
  13. ^ Kim, Jae-Yop; Kim, Joonbeom; Park, Sookyoung (May 2019). "Military hazing and suicidal ideation among active duty military personnel: Serial mediation effects of anger and depressive symptoms". Journal of Affective Disorders. 256: 79–85. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2019.05.060. PMID 31158719. S2CID 174808499 – via ResearchGate.
  14. ^ "Cause of suicide in military". Hani news.
  15. ^ "New decree". Seoul news.
  16. ^ "Military helpcall". Archived from the original on 2021-11-22. Retrieved 2020-06-12.
  17. ^ "Military human rights center".
  18. ^ "South Korea's fertility rate falls to lowest in the world". Reuters. CNA. 24 February 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
  19. ^ "Lowering standards". yna news.
  20. ^ "Percent of conscripted soldiers". cbinews.
  21. ^ "해병대 '기수열외'가 비극 불렀다". The Hankyoreh. 5 July 2011. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  22. ^ "故 김지훈 일병 父 "단추 하나로 시작된 아들의 죽음"". No Cut News. 26 May 2014. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  23. ^ "GOP 총기난사 육군 22사단서 일병 자살… 선임병 가혹행위". Kukmin Ilbo. 20 July 2017. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  24. ^ "6사단 GP서 선임들 가혹행위로 일병 자살". The Hankyoreh. 24 November 2016. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
  25. ^ "가혹행위에 병사 자살, 또 22사단.. "軍, 조작‧은폐 의혹" - 고발뉴스닷컴". gobalnews.com. Retrieved 4 August 2018.
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