"Leaving the Last Drink..." Drunken Company Commander Sprays Soju on Soldier's Face and Commits Abuse

15th Division: "The Officer in Question Has Been Suspended from Duty and Separated"

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[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] It has been confirmed that a company commander of an army unit forced soldiers to drink alcohol while intoxicated and committed harsh acts such as pouring soju on their faces.

According to the Facebook page "Delivering Army Training Center News (Yukdaejeon)" on the 21st, a soldier identified as A, who is serving in the 15th Division, stated, "Around 5 p.m. on the 19th, the company commander came into the barracks in a drunken state after a gathering," and added, "'Sing some songs,' he said, and took me and my comrades to a karaoke room."

He continued, "While we were singing, the company commander suddenly hit my shoulder 4 to 5 times with his fist and said, 'Am I a pushover? Are you crazy?'" and revealed, "Around 8:30 p.m., the company commander gathered all personnel in the barracks hallway and forced us to drink alcohol."

The company commander lined up the soldiers and gave each a glass of soju. During this process, A said, "He made me drink three consecutive cups of soju from paper cups, and because I left the last cup unfinished, he suddenly poured the remaining soju from the cup onto my face, saying, 'Are you crazy, you bastard?'"

A said, "I was so angry that I said, 'Company commander, this is not right,' but the already intoxicated commander did not listen to me and spoke to the soldiers about something else," adding, "I avoided the situation and sat down in the barracks, crying out of anger, frustration, and sorrow."

The next day, the company commander did not remember the incident but apologized to A only after hearing about it from another officer.

A said, "The company commander, who always said that injustice must be eliminated, subjected me to an unreasonable injustice," and expressed, "I am insanely angry, frustrated, and sad that I was treated like this in the military, which I did not join by choice."

Meanwhile, according to Yukdaejeon, the 15th Division has launched a joint investigation into the matter. The unit stated, "The day after the incident (the 20th), the officer recognized his fault and reported it to the division himself," adding, "Since this is an intolerable act, the officer was immediately suspended from duty and separated."

They continued, "Currently, a joint investigation is underway by the division’s legal, military police, and inspection units, and strict measures will be taken according to relevant laws and procedures based on the results."