"Due to Declining Physical Fitness of Trainees"... 'Eolcharyeo Death' First Raised in Community Before and After

Controversy Over Harsh Treatment, Not Military Discipline Training Spreads
"Treated as Malingering Even When Frothing at the Mouth, Golden Time Missed"

Amid the death of a trainee undergoing military discipline training commonly known as 'eolchalyeo,' attention is focused on a post in an online community that reported the incident several hours before the first media coverage. On the 27th, a post titled 'First post by the author of the Army trainee eolchalyeo death incident' spread on an online community. The author attached a screenshot of a community post, stating, "This post was uploaded a few hours before the death news broke."

Earlier, the Army announced that on the 23rd at around 5:20 PM, one of six trainees undergoing military discipline training at a unit in Inje, Gangwon Province, collapsed. The collapsed trainee was transported to a civilian hospital for treatment but his condition worsened, and he passed away on the afternoon of the 25th, two days later. It is known that the deceased trainee was running and doing push-ups while fully equipped with military gear.
[Photo by Seodongmin, Asia Economy]

According to the content of the post, the first post related to the death of the Army trainee was uploaded around 4:10 PM on the 26th. An anonymous writer stated, "A trainee from the 12th Division Recruit Training Unit OO-O Company O Platoon died due to harsh treatment by the company commander and deputy company commander. Meanwhile, the platoon leader mocked, saying, 'This incident happened because your physical fitness has declined to a lower standard.'"

The post received comments such as "Is this true?" and "If this is false information, you could be sued." About four hours later, the incident began to be reported, prompting reactions like "It's true, what happened?" and "How can harsh treatment cause someone to die?" Other comments criticized, saying, "Is the excuse of declining physical fitness really true?" "What era of COVID-19 is this from?" "It makes no sense to give eolchalyeo until death just because physical fitness declined. Military officers should think before they speak," and "Are they even human?"

According to the content of the post, the first message regarding the death of an Army trainee was posted around 4:10 PM on the 26th. The anonymous writer stated, "A trainee from the 12th Division Recruit Training Battalion OO-O Company O Platoon died due to harsh treatment by the company commander and deputy company commander. Meanwhile, the O Platoon leader mocked them, saying, 'This incident happened because your physical fitness has declined.'"
[Photo by online community 'DC Inside']

The anonymous author posted a second message around 7:49 PM on the 27th, a day after the initial post. He wrote, "The unit is in chaos right now. The officers are calling parents, saying, 'This happened because the COVID generation's physical fitness has declined, and they received eolchalyeo.' I'm so angry. All training is postponed, and we are on indefinite standby. I don't know if I can complete this without any problems. I'm just really scared." The authenticity of this post has not been verified. However, since it was written before the incident became public, it appears to have high credibility.

Claims from Fellow Trainee’s Parents Also Surface…Netizens Say "This Is Not Military Discipline Training but Harsh Treatment"

On another online community, a parent who sent their son to the same recruit training unit as the deceased trainee claimed, "They made him carry 40 kg and run laps for three hours." On the 28th, a post titled 'Rumors about the 12th Division Death Incident from the Trainee Mom Cafe' quickly spread on an online community. According to this post, a netizen A, using the ID '○○04 Trainee’s Mother' on the trainee community 'The Camp,' left detailed comments about the accident.

On the 28th, a post titled "Rumor about the Death Incident in the 12th Division from the Trainee Mothers' Cafe" has been rapidly spreading on an online community. According to this post, a netizen A, using the ID "○○04 Trainee's Mother," left detailed comments about the accident situation at the time on the trainee community "The Camp."
[Photo by Trainee Community 'The Camp']

A stated, "My heart aches. Due to poor attendance at roll call, six trainees were made to carry 20 kg backpacks with added books to make 40 kg and run laps for about three hours as punishment and eolchalyeo." She continued, "One of them (the deceased trainee) had all the ligaments and muscles in his leg torn and was lying down with a bluish color. Even though he was in the medical room, they thought he was faking unconsciousness and did not transfer him." She added, "It seems they missed the golden hour. The kid foamed at the mouth and his condition worsened, so he was transferred to a civilian hospital but died. They said black urine came out."

The comment was posted at 10:22 PM on the 26th. Regarding this, a netizen said, "Since trainees received their phones on Sunday, the 26th, they might have informed their parents. The news broke at 8 PM on the 26th, and there is information about 'six people running laps with full military gear' that was not in the news," suggesting the comment is credible.

In particular, one netizen commented, "I don't know if all the details in that comment are true, but I heard from a friend in the adjacent barracks of the same division that six people ran laps with full military gear, one collapsed from heatstroke, and they thought it was malingering and neglected him." The netizen reacted, "If this post is true, it is literally a 2024 case of torture leading to death," "They used to tell us at the training center to report immediately if urine color was abnormal," "How badly must they have treated him for black urine to come out?" and "I can't believe this happened in the military in 2024."

Earlier, the Army announced around 5:20 PM on the 23rd that one of six trainees undergoing military discipline training at a unit in Inje, Gangwon Province, collapsed. The collapsed trainee was transferred to a civilian hospital for treatment but his condition worsened, and he died on the afternoon of the 25th, two days later. It is known that the deceased trainee was running and doing push-ups with full military gear.

A military source said regarding the autopsy results of the deceased trainee, "It is understood that some symptoms similar to rhabdomyolysis were observed," and "additional blood and tissue tests will be conducted." Rhabdomyolysis is a condition where skeletal muscle cells break down or die due to excessive muscle exertion, extreme heat, trauma, or other causes, leading to kidney blockage and damage. Typical symptoms include severe muscle pain and urine that appears red or brown.