Abuse and Military Maladjustment in the South Korean Military: Influences of the Military Environment on Suicide of South Korean Conscript Soldiers

Since 1949, South Korean men are required to serve in the military for approximately 18 months. In 2018, South Korea's armed forces included around 608,000 active military personnel, including 107,000 conscript soldiers. In order to sustain an army this big, human welfare issues require significant care. However, with the current suicide rate in the military and the rising abuse reports, South Korea is facing internal threats. These internal issues could be of possible negative impact for the national defense of South Korea. This thesis looked at how the military environment and the military’s response on abuse and maladjustment issues allows for factors to occur which influence South Korean conscript soldiers to ideate and commit suicide. This was done by using Joiner's interpersonal psychology theory to analyze two recent suicide cases which have been reported by the media. It was found that the military environment in these cases allowed for all factors of the theory to develop....Show moreSince 1949, South Korean men are required to serve in the military for approximately 18 months. In 2018, South Korea's armed forces included around 608,000 active military personnel, including 107,000 conscript soldiers. In order to sustain an army this big, human welfare issues require significant care. However, with the current suicide rate in the military and the rising abuse reports, South Korea is facing internal threats. These internal issues could be of possible negative impact for the national defense of South Korea. This thesis looked at how the military environment and the military’s response on abuse and maladjustment issues allows for factors to occur which influence South Korean conscript soldiers to ideate and commit suicide. This was done by using Joiner's interpersonal psychology theory to analyze two recent suicide cases which have been reported by the media. It was found that the military environment in these cases allowed for all factors of the theory to develop. This in turn was linked to the suicide of the case subjects. The thesis also showed that the military's response and actions after the death of the soldiers were not in the favor of reflection and future prevention of such cases. This thesis has contributed to the understanding of conscript suicide in the South Korean military by analyzing the role of the internal military environment.Show less

Leiden University Student Repository

Documents

In Collections

Abuse and Military Maladjustment in the South Korean Military: Influences of the Military Environment on Suicide of South Korean Conscript Soldiers