Marines vow to eliminate barracks violence

GIMPO/SEOUL, July 18 (Yonhap) -- The Marine Corps on Monday unveiled plans to overhaul its barracks culture, establishing a new code of conduct for troops and vowing to hand out tough punishments to violators.
Lt. Gen. Yoo Nak-joon, the Marine Corps commander, made the announcement at a public forum held at the 2nd Marine Division in Gimpo, west of Seoul, on ways to address physical and verbal abuses, allegedly rampant inside Marine barracks.
The meeting was called after a disgruntled Marine corporal opened fire on his colleagues inside a barrack at a seaside unit on the western island of Ganghwa earlier this month, killing four and injuring another. The 19-year-old soldier, surnamed Kim, unsuccessfully tried to kill himself with a grenade.



Officials have said Kim had been bullied and abused by his colleagues and also had mental problems.
Separately, two Marine soldiers and a non-commissioned officer committed suicide this month alone at other units.
In his opening remarks, Yoo said he was devastated by the recent turn of events, but he was still hopeful that Marines would bounce back.
"No matter how much pain and sacrifice it may take, we will try to eliminate all bad customs so that it won't affect Marines' camaraderie, fighting spirit and unity," Yoo said. "No one person can do it all alone. From the commander down to soldiers, it requires active participation."
Under the plans, Yoo said all Marines will be required to sign pledges to eliminate abuses in all forms in barracks, and violators will be "severely punished for disobedience."
According to the commander, abusive Marines will be stripped of their red name tag, the patented symbol of the Marine Corps here. These soldiers may also be assigned to a different unit.
A Marine officer explained that the red tag, which is awarded just before the end of the seven-week Marine recruit training, is more than just a way to identify individuals.
"It's akin to an order that as a member of the Marine Corps, you have to live up to your responsibilities and duties," he said, adding removing the tag is perhaps the most severe form of punishment for an individual Marine.
"To root out abuses and other old customs from barracks, we have to endure painful processes," the official added. "If we miss this opportunity, we believe we would never be able to win back the love and trust of the people. We're working on establishing intensive reform measures."
Yoo said he is also considering dissolving the units where violators serve. A military official said a legal review is underway to determine whether the Marine commander in chief has the authority to break up a unit and re-launch it.
The commander acknowledged that authoritarian officers and their one-way, top-down communication have led to problems inside barracks. Yoo also said Marines have not adequately protected the individual rights of soldiers while demanding unconditional loyalty and sacrifice.
He said soldiers are also guilty of lack of respect and consideration for one another, especially between superiors and juniors.
"You have to believe that reforming our barracks culture has to start from each one of you," Yoo said. "Regardless of your ranks, you all have to take an active role in making changes."
Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin said physical abuses in the military are "criminal acts that infringe upon human rights."
"Abusive practices are a remnant of our colonial past," he said. "If you beat up on someone just because that person is disobedient, or just because you used to get beat up by your superiors earlier, that's just belittling yourselves."
Kim also said abuses will weaken the combat strength of the military and that in order for South Korean armed forces to join the ranks of advanced militaries, these "wrong practices" must stop.