Apparent double suicide prompts S. Korean military to defend itself

(ATTN: RECASTS lead, headline; ADDS figures on suicide in military throughout;
UPDATES with ministry response; TRIMS)
By Sam Kim
SEOUL, May 11 (Yonhap) -- The deaths of two soldiers who swallowed weed killer in
an apparent double suicide jolted the South Korean military Monday into
emphasizing its efforts to combat the rising suicide rate among enlisted members.

On Saturday, two privates first class, who were believed to have met each other
at an Army-run mental training facility, were found dead at an inn in southern
South Korea.
No suicide note was found, but officials said the men, both 21, had a history of
psychological treatment by military doctors.
"They had been classified as soldiers having trouble adapting to life in the
military," an Army officer said, speaking on customary condition of anonymity.
All able-bodied South Korean men must serve in the armed forces or undertake
equivalent tasks for the state for at least two years, as the country remains
technically at war with North Korea.
South Korea has the third-highest suicide rate among the 30 members of the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
Suicide among soldiers is a rising trend, with 68 having taken their own lives
last year compared to 54 in 2004, even though the size of the forces has slightly
decreased.
"We are investing all of our resources in reducing this rate," the Ministry of
National Defense said in a statement, contending over 100 officials are engaged
in prevention efforts.
"A scientific system for prevention is in place, taking into account factors that
shape the psychology of the new generation of soldiers," it said.
The ministry acknowledged the number of suicide cases has steadily risen,
partially attributing it to an economic slump that has also been considered a
cause for suicide among civilians.
South Korea has 655,000 troops, and the suicide rate in the armed forces remains
slightly more than half the civilian rate.
Officials ruled out the possibility that the soldiers had been affiliated with a
so-called Internet suicide community before they killed themselves. Such Web
sites have recently emerged as a social problem.
samkim@yna.co.kr
(END)