SEOUL: South Korea’s defence minister apologised yesterday to the relatives of victims of a shooting rampage by an army conscript for suggesting that those killed had been bullying the gunman.
On Saturday, a 22-year-old sergeant, surnamed Lim, opened fire on members of his own unit at a guard post near the tense border with North Korea, killing five and wounding seven.
Lim was captured alive Monday after a 24-hour standoff with thousands of troops ended when he shot himself in the chest.
Minister Kim Kwan-Jin had infuriated the families of Lim’s victims when he suggested, in a recent meeting with lawmakers, that bullying had been a factor behind the shooting spree.
“I feel sorry for hurting the hearts of the bereaved families by causing a misunderstanding that bullying was a motive,” Kim said in a statement.
“We will thoroughly bring the truth to light in order not to damage the reputation of the victims,” he added.
Barrack-room bullying is a sensitive issue in Seoul where the vast majority of personnel are those serving their mandatory two-year military service.
AFP
