Marine Corps Senior Soldier Fined for Forcing Junior to Ingest Fabric Softener and Subjecting Him to 'Food Torture'...

Forcing to eat a large amount of snacks and 'Ippal Yeondeung' too
Changwon District Court sentences 8 million won fine

A senior Marine who forced a junior soldier to ingest fabric softener and consume a large amount of snacks, among other acts of abuse, was sentenced to a fine.

On the 23rd, the Changwon District Court Criminal Division 1 (Presiding Judge Jeong Yuntaek) announced that it had sentenced A, a man in his 20s, to a fine of 8 million won on charges of abuse through the use of power. A was tried for repeatedly abusing junior soldiers at a Marine dormitory in Ganghwa-gun, Incheon, from July 2022 to February last year. He subjected the juniors to so-called "food torture" by forcing them to eat two boxes of snacks and one bag each of chocolate bars and chocolates, while forbidding them from drinking water. He also engaged in so-called "tooth lantern," where he would talk to or play games with the victims when they tried to sleep, preventing them from resting. In November 2022, A filled a bottle cap with fabric softener and made a junior soldier drink it, and in February last year, he restrained a lying junior soldier and struck vital areas.

The court pointed out, "The defendant repeatedly committed abusive acts against junior soldiers, and the means and methods were improper." Regarding the sentencing reasons, it explained, "Consideration was given to efforts to restore damages, such as reaching agreements with some victims and making criminal deposits for those who did not agree."

Meanwhile, incidents of harassment against junior soldiers during Marine service continue unabated. On the 11th, the Changwon District Court Criminal Division 4 (Presiding Judge Kang Heekyung) sentenced B, a man in his 20s, to 1 year and 6 months in prison with a 3-year probation on charges of abuse through the use of power. B was also ordered to perform 240 hours of community service. B was indicted for repeatedly assaulting junior soldiers, including stabbing an antenna baton into a junior soldier’s nostril out of boredom while serving at a Marine unit in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province, in January last year. He also sprayed hand sanitizer on a junior soldier’s palm and ignited it with a lighter, claiming that the sanitizer was flammable. Additionally, he forced a junior soldier to breathe by holding a towel sprayed with the anti-inflammatory painkiller Mentholatum near the soldier’s nose, citing it as a bad custom he himself had endured.

Also, last month, a man in his 20s who habitually harassed junior soldiers during Marine service received a suspended prison sentence. On the 30th of last month, the Daejeon District Court 11th Criminal Division (Presiding Judge Choi Seokjin) suspended the sentence of C (23) for 1 year in prison on charges including special threats by a military officer, abuse through the use of power, and abuse. A suspended sentence is a ruling that postpones the sentencing for a certain period for minor crimes, and if two years pass from the suspension date, it is effectively treated as if the crime never occurred.

C was indicted for repeatedly assaulting a junior soldier who shared the same living quarters at a Marine unit in Pohang, Gyeongbuk, from June to November 2020, tickling and threatening the soldier with a weapon. The court stated, "The crime of abusing the status and position of a soldier to assault and threaten a junior soldier performing duties with a dangerous object is not light," but explained the reason for the suspended sentence by considering "C’s remorseful attitude, the fact that he was only 19 years old at the time of the crime and a first-time offender, and that he reached an agreement with the victim."