The military disclosed on the 2nd that the reason for the passing of a reserve soldier who died during exercises with the Army's 73rd Division last May was pancreatitis. It emerged that the pancreatitis, which occurred in March — not while participating in the training — led to his demise.
During a government session held on the second day of the previous month, President Lee Jae Myung said, "The appropriate agencies should conduct thorough and prompt investigations into the causes of various events and accidents, and openly share all findings with the public. Any accountability found must be handled seriously." Precisely one month following these comments, the military announced the outcomes of its own inquiry.
During a meeting that same day, Vice Army Chief of Staff Choi Jang-sik (Major General) remarked, "Following an autopsy conducted with the grieving family present, it was concluded that 'pancreatitis,' which the deceased had been undergoing treatment for prior to starting training, led to his passing." He also mentioned, "We verified through two independent civil forensic consulting organizations that this condition directly contributed to the death." A military representative noted, "The deceased indicated there were no issues identified during the initial medical examination before joining the program." Reports suggest that the individual’s parents had recommended against participating in reserve exercises following their diagnosis with pancreatitis; however, they continued attending the sessions regularly.
Deputy Chief of Staff Choi stated, "While there were many unverified reports concerning this event, the claim that the battalion leader was observed through a drone had no basis whatsoever."
The individual became unconscious and fell down while heading to the nighttime exercise area following a meal during the evening of the second day of mobilization reserve training on May 13, then was taken to a public hospital but eventually passed away. Later, internet claims surfaced suggesting that the battalion commander had been monitoring the reserves' exercises in real time using a drone.
The military expressed its plan to enhance security protocols under the direction of senior leadership during reserve exercises, upgrade health assessment documents, establish specialized medical units within battalions, and introduce steps to guarantee safe training environments and ease of access after this event.
Initially, the Army chose to enhance the medical assistance framework by guaranteeing that medical transport units remain deployed at every auxiliary training facility. With this approach, the Army aims to create a system throughout the year that delivers top-tier urgent medical treatment during the critical window of opportunity.
Furthermore, the Army intends to add more emergency medical staff and increase the deployment of automatic external defibrillators down to the company level.
The military chose to enhance the 'health assessment form' in order to obtain more comprehensive information and actions concerning the medical condition of reserve personnel. Although the current form contains basic inquiries to detect long-term and contagious ailments, it will be updated to incorporate previous sicknesses, specific symptoms, and new health issues.
Additionally, the military intends to enhance food service and comfort amenities including shower stations, restroom facilities, and provisional eating spaces.
Shin Jong-woo, the Secretary-General of the Korea Defense and Security Forum (KODEF), remarked, "Transporting the deceased to a civilian hospital required almost an hour, but the army is trying to shift responsibility to the deceased's pancreatic condition instead of dealing with the insufficient evacuation process adequately. Instead of offering compensation and medical care similar to what active-duty personnel receive, the army is using questionable methods by referencing the deceased's health issue."