[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Sergeant Kwak Abandoned by the Army... His Mother Cried Again

[Asia Economy Reporter Yang Nak-gyu] Jeong Jumi (66), who enlisted her son as an Army non-commissioned officer, is spending sleepless nights in tears ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday. Her worry grows daily over her son, Sergeant Gwak, who severely injured his ankle in a landmine accident during an operation.

The situation is as follows. Sergeant Gwak chose the path of a non-commissioned officer immediately after graduating from Busan Electronics Technical High School to fulfill his dream. He entered the NCO Academy in July 2005 and proudly earned the rank of Corporal in December of the same year. Jeong recalled, "The happiest moment was when I cooked a meal for my son during his first leave as a corporal," adding, "I cried and cried for five hours on the way back to Busan after dropping him off in a remote mountain village in Gangwon Province where he was assigned."

However, in June 2014, Jeong received shocking news. Her son was seriously injured when a landmine exploded while he was conducting an operation in a forward outpost. She felt as if the sky turned yellow. She rushed to the hospital but could not bear to look at her son's pained face. She prayed several times a day for his speedy recovery.

But Sergeant Gwak's suffering continued even after discharge. His severely injured ankle made walking difficult, and he endured Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), which caused waves of intense pain daily. Jeong urged her son to be discharged from the military, but he insisted on continuing his military career. In February 2018, he was promoted from Staff Sergeant to Sergeant First Class, and in March last year, after undergoing surgery to alleviate the pain, he began working as a vehicle maintenance officer.

Sergeant Gwak prepared for the upcoming warrant officer promotion exam next month, but another trial awaited him. The Army intervened. He received a cold response that he was disqualified from taking the exam due to a lowered physical grade caused by his landmine injury.

Before the accident, Sergeant Gwak’s physical grade was Level 1, but it dropped to Level 5 due to aftereffects of the injury, which became the problem. According to current Army regulations, only those with a physical grade of Level 4 or higher are eligible for the warrant officer promotion exam. The Army stated that under the Military Personnel Act, 'enlisted soldiers who become physically disabled due to exemplary acts during operations' can be appointed as NCOs, but there is no such provision for NCOs themselves, so there is nothing they can do. Sergeant Gwak, who lost his eligibility for the promotion exam due to an injury sustained during an operation, had to bow his head in frustration and betrayal.

Watching this, Jeong said, "My heart aches thinking about my son who cannot come home during the Lunar New Year holiday and will be suffering alone," adding, "He sacrificed his youth and one leg for the country, but all he receives in return is the Army’s betrayal." She continued, "Loyalty to the country naturally comes when the country protects me until the end," and appealed, "I hope the system will be improved so that my son’s sacrifice will not be in vain."