Cook Dies After Military Marathon Held in Extreme Heat; Four, Including Division Commander, Referred to Prosecution

Marathon Held Without "Risk Assessment"
Charged With Occupational Negligence Resulting in Death

Military officials responsible for holding a unit marathon event in extreme heat without proper safety measures, resulting in the death of a soldier in his 20s from heatstroke, have been referred to the prosecution.

According to Yonhap News on July 11, the Major Crime Investigation Unit of the Northern Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency referred four Army officers, including the commander of the 8th Division, to the prosecution without detention on charges including occupational negligence resulting in death.

They are accused of neglecting their duty of supervision while planning a 9.13-kilometer race around September 13, Victory Day, to commemorate the victory at the Battle of Yeongcheon during the Korean War, in August of last year.

Northern Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency

At the time, Private First Class A, a cook who had been enlisted for four months in a subordinate brigade, participated in the event and died from organ damage caused by heatstroke. On September 5, 2025, when the race was held, the maximum temperature at the site reached 31 degrees Celsius, and the humidity was as high as 70% due to rain the previous day. Private A struggled to run until about the 8km mark but collapsed and was taken to the hospital, where he ultimately died.

The investigation revealed serious shortcomings in the preparation and operation of the event. In particular, it was found that the military failed to conduct a "risk assessment"—a process meant to identify potential hazards in advance during training or operations. Instead, the division issued superficial guidelines to subordinate units, such as "establishing emergency medical support readiness," "forming teams with similar basic fitness," and "gradual practice." However, even these guidelines were not properly implemented. There was no procedure to assess whether participants had the fitness and experience to run 9km, and since the guidelines were issued right before the event, "gradual practice" could not realistically take place.

There were also deficiencies in medical care at the scene. On the day of the race, the unit doctor was absent due to being off-duty for night shift, and the nursing officer was running as a participant. When Private A collapsed, he was transported to the hospital not in a 119 or hospital ambulance equipped with medical equipment, but in a nearby military Korando vehicle. Furthermore, the first hospital was unable to treat heatstroke, so he was transferred to a second hospital, and in the process, the "golden hour" was missed.

The case was transferred from the military investigative agency to the police. The military authorities initially referred only two commanders—one field-grade and one company-grade officer—to the police, but excluded upper-level commanders such as the division commander who planned and issued orders for the event, sparking controversy. In response, the bereaved family filed direct complaints against the division commander, a senior soldier who ran alongside Private A, and a noncommissioned officer. The police, taking over the case, determined that the division commander also bore responsibility and referred a total of four individuals to the prosecution on charges of occupational negligence resulting in death. However, the senior soldier and the noncommissioned officer were not referred, as they did not have responsibility or authority over the event and did not take any actions deemed legally problematic at the time of the incident.

In response, the bereaved family told Yonhap News, "We regret that the law finds no responsibility for the senior personnel who ran together, as the victim likely felt compelled to keep running despite his limits due to their influence." They added, "The death of Private A was not simply misfortune on an individual level, but the clear responsibility of a command structure obsessed with performance at the expense of safety. Through upcoming legal proceedings, incompetent commanders and those responsible must be held strictly accountable, and we must ensure that no more young people called to serve the nation are sacrificed in such a meaningless tragedy."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.