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South Korea soldier gets death sentence for troop killings | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
A South Korean soldier who shot dead five of his colleagues and injured seven others has been sentenced to death by a military court. | |
The sergeant opened fire in June 2014 at his post near the North Korean border and fled, sparking a manhunt. | |
He was captured two days later after he shot himself during a tense stand-off with troops. | |
It reignited debate on military culture in South Korea, where all males must do about two years military service. | |
The conscript's attack had previously been attributed by a defence ministry spokesman to his "difficulties in adapting to military life". | |
He had been placed on a list of conscripts requiring special attention. | |
In July last year, the military completed its investigation into the incident and said the attack, at a post near the border town of Goseong, was in revenge for bullying in the army and at school. | |
The 23-year-old recruit, surnamed Im in previous reports but named as Lim by Yonhap news agency, was found guilty of killing and injuring his comrades by detonating a grenade and firing at them. | |
He was also found guilty of running away with a rifle and ammunition, said the news agency. | He was also found guilty of running away with a rifle and ammunition, said the news agency. |
Under South Korea's military law, a soldier must face the death penalty for killing a superior. One of those killed was a staff sergeant. | Under South Korea's military law, a soldier must face the death penalty for killing a superior. One of those killed was a staff sergeant. |
The soldier expressed remorse in a statement last month before his sentence was announced, AFP news agency reported. | |
"I feel deeply sorry for the victims and their relatives... I am overcome with remorse... How happy would I be, had it been merely a dream and had it been possible to return to the past?" he said. | |
Bullying culture? | |
Past incidents in South Korea's military have been linked to bullying and mental health problems. | |
Last year, several suicides by young conscripts were reported. In April, a private died after he was beaten by his superiors - an incident which was only uncovered months later by a civic group. | |
A sergeant was later sentenced to 45 years in military prison for the crime. Four other soldiers were jailed for between 15 and 30 years while a sixth was given a suspended prison sentence. | |
In September last year, two special forces soldiers died after collapsing during captivity training, apparently from suffocation. | |
The incidents sparked a public outcry and prompted the army to take a tougher stance on bullying and abuse. | |
Its chief of staff resigned and his replacement ordered the establishment of a military human rights commission and investigations into hundreds of bullying cases. | |
Prior to last year, South Korea also saw major incidents in 2005 and 2011 where conscripts killed several of their comrades. | |
South Korea has said it needs a conscription system to ensure national security. It technically remains at war with North Korea, as the 1950-53 Korean War ended in an armistice rather than a peace treaty. |
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