Army says 1 trainee soldier died in line of duty


A trainee soldier has died two days after collapsing during a training event at an Army unit in Gangwon Province, the Army said Sunday.

The soldier, who had been sent to a civilian hospital for treatment after collapsing at a unit in Inje, 126 kilometers northeast of Seoul, at 5:20 p.m. on Thursday, died Saturday afternoon, according to the Army.

Officials said the Army is looking into the cause of the accident with civilian police and investigating whether the training was carried out in line with relevant regulations and processes.

The training the deceased soldier received is conducted when the respective commander assesses there is a need for it. Six soldiers had taken part in Thursday’s training.

The incident comes just days after a grenade explosion during a training session at the Army’s 32nd Infantry Division killed one recruit and injured a noncommissioned officer.

Source: Yonhap News Agency