Army Confirms Pancreatitis as Cause of Reservist's Death in Pocheon

On July 2, Army Chief of Staff Choi Jang-sik briefs the results of the investigation into the death of a reservist from the 73rd Division at the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan, Seoul. [Photo: Yonhap News]

The Army announced on July 2 that the cause of death for a reservist at the 73rd Infantry Division training site in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, was pancreatitis, according to autopsy results.
The incident has revealed shortcomings in the medical support system for reservist training, prompting the Army to commit to improvements, including the establishment of medical evacuation teams at all reservist training sites.
During a briefing at the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan, Army Chief of Staff Choi Jang-sik stated, "We consulted with two civilian legal advisory institutions, which confirmed that the condition was related to the cause of death."
Choi explained the delay in disclosing the cause of death, saying, "We prioritized the consent of the bereaved family and it took considerable time to confirm the final analysis results of the investigation and autopsy."
An Army official added that they received opinions from forensic professors at Seoul National University and Yonsei University indicating that pancreatitis could lead to death.
The deceased had been receiving treatment for pancreatitis since March and had reportedly undergone four medical consultations before the training.
On May 13, during evening training at the 73rd Division's Pocheon reservist training site, a 20-year-old reservist, identified as A, suddenly lost consciousness and collapsed while moving to the training area after dinner. A was immediately given emergency treatment by nearby officers and transported to a civilian hospital by ambulance but was pronounced dead.
Choi stated, "The Army is conducting an investigation into the cause of death in conjunction with military investigative agencies and other relevant organizations. We have identified some issues with reservist training and are focusing on improvements and follow-up measures."
In light of this incident, the Army is re-evaluating the reservist training system. They plan to actively pursue various measures to ensure training conditions and convenience, including strengthening safety controls led by higher command and improving health screening questionnaires.
The existing health screening questionnaire, which consisted of simple questions to identify chronic and infectious diseases, has been revised as of July 1 to better assess past illnesses, specific symptoms, and recent health status.

* This article has been translated by AI.