In response to the recent death of a trainee soldier following a discipline session last week, Prime Minister Han Duck-soo ordered the nation’s defense chief to prepare measures to prevent the recurrence of such a tragedy.
The prime minister’s office reported on Wednesday that Han met separately with defense minister Shin Won-sik before an extraordinary cabinet meeting at the Seoul Government Complex.
During the meeting, the prime minister said it’s the country’s responsibility to do its best to ensure trainee soldiers don’t make any “unnecessary sacrifices.”
Han also called on the defense chief to check whether there are any unreasonable practices or systems implemented in the military.
He also instructed the defense ministry to conduct preemptive safety inspections of military training facilities and living spaces and to report whether there are any shortcomings in the soldiers’ living conditions.