Gurye-gun, If Someone Died During Military Service, Please Report Immediately

Deadline for Petition Submission on September 13

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yuk Miseok] Gurye-gun, Jeollanam-do announced on the 28th that it has launched promotional activities to encourage more families of military personnel who died during service to file petitions within the activity period of the Military Death Accident Investigation Committee under the President (hereinafter referred to as the Committee).

The Committee was established in September 2018 under a special law and operates for three years, receiving petitions from bereaved families or witnesses regarding deaths that occurred in the military, conducting fair and objective investigations to uncover the truth.

The scope of petitions accepted by the Committee includes not only so-called “unexplained military deaths,” where the cause of death is suspected to be unclear, but also all types of deaths in the military such as accidental deaths, deaths from illness, and self-inflicted deaths (suicides).

In particular, following the 2014 amendment of the Military Personnel Act, cases of self-inflicted death (suicide) caused by factors such as assault, harsh treatment, or excessive workload during military service are recognized by the state as “honorable deaths,” allowing for official recognition.

Since the petition submission deadline is September 13, 2020, with only about five months remaining, the county plans to strengthen local promotional activities by placing promotional leaflets and posters at the county office and town and township offices, as well as posting promotional materials on the website to ensure that bereaved families in the area do not miss the application deadline.

A county official stated, “We understand that there are quite a few bereaved families in our region who have lost their children in the military for any reason and live with lifelong sorrow,” adding, “We will cooperate with the Committee in various ways so that through the Committee’s fair investigation, the truth is clearly revealed, allowing the bereaved families to overcome their long-standing pain and receive honor restoration and appropriate treatment.”

The Committee’s activity period is three years, ending on September 13, 2021, and the petition submission period is two years, ending on September 13, 2020.