Army private confesses setting off grenade, cites hazing as reason

By Byun Duk-kun
SEOUL, Nov. 27 (Yonhap) -- An Army private suspected of setting off a hand
grenade inside an Army barrack has confessed to carefully planning the act out of
anger from harrassment and work overload, the Army said Friday.
The suspect, identified only by his surname Hwang, was detained Wednesday for the
blast that left five servicemembers injured, one of whom still remains
unconscious.
"The Army offers its sincerest apologies and condolences to the people and the
families of our servicemembers who were injured in the explosion of a hand
grenade on Nov. 23," Lt. Gen. Han Min-koo, deputy chief of staff of the Army,
said in a news conference.
The incident occurred early Sunday when a hand grenade exploded at sleeping
quarters in Cherwon, just south of the heavily fortified border that divides the
two Koreas.
"The Army has arrested a key suspect after confirming his identity through DNA
testing of samples secured from the safety clip of the grenade," said Col. Sun
Jong-chool, head of an Army investigation team.
Hwang, 20, confessed shortly after his arrest Wednesday, he added.
Army investigators said there was no physical abuse or repeated hazing against
the suspect by his senior servicemembers, but noted the suspect claims to have
received what they called a "cold treatment."
"Private Hwang is said to have been withdrawn and that he felt inferior to
another private in his unit, who was always recognized for his work by their
superiors," Sun said.
Hazing has long been the cited motive for various crimes in the country's armed
service where most of its enlisted members are conscripts.
In 2005, an Army PFC killed eight servicemembers, including his unit commander,
at a different guard post near the inter-Korean border for what he called
repeated hazing. He has been convicted and sentenced to death by a court martial.
Hwang, however, was also quoted as saying that he was only trying to draw the
public's attention to the tough conditions of serving at a guard post near the
border and excessive amount of work the troops there have to bear.
Unit commanders noted the troops had been put to after-hour duties to renovate
the unit's four guard posts since August.
The investigators said Hwang waited until everyone else in the room fell asleep
before throwing the live grenade toward the entrance door at 1:48 a.m. He is also
suspected of planting a sealing tape from the grenade in the locker of another
member of his unit.
Army prosecutors are expected to charge Hwang with conspiracy to commit murder, a
crime punishable by death if convicted, they said.
bdk@yna.co.kr
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