Prime Minister Han Deok-soo: ”It is the nation's responsibility to do our utmost to prevent the sacrifice of soldiers” (South Korea)

Prime Minister Han Deok-soo announced on the 29th that he will take measures to prevent a recurrence of the incident in which a trainee collapsed and died during military discipline training at an army recruit training center in Gangwon Province on the ninth day after joining the army.
Prime Minister Han met separately with Defense Minister Shin Won-sik, who was attending the emergency Cabinet meeting that afternoon, to receive a report on the accident and to devise measures to prevent a recurrence.
Prime Minister Han told Minister Shin, "The soldiers enlisted to fulfill their national defense obligations, and each and every one of them is a child that the Korean people have lived and worked hard to raise.
"It is the nation's responsibility to do our utmost to ensure that there are no unnecessary sacrifices while devoting ourselves to the nation," he said.
They also called for preemptive safety inspections of military training facilities and living spaces to ensure that soldiers are not put at risk by extreme weather such as this summer's extreme heat and torrential rains.
He also instructed them to check whether there were any shortcomings in the soldiers' living conditions, such as their diet and sleeping quarters, and to report back on the results. He also instructed the police to clarify the cause of death and responsibility for the accident without a single doubt.
In addition, he instructed the Ministry of National Defense to sincerely comfort the bereaved family and faithfully assist in the funeral arrangements for the deceased. At around 5:20 pm on the 23rd, a military personnel killed a soldier at a certain army unit in Ingye, Gangwon Province.
One trainee collapsed during disciplinary training and was rushed to a private hospital for treatment, but his condition worsened and he died two days later on the 25th.