Special to WorldTribune.com
A South Korean army soldier, with the surname Kim, was shot and killed by an unknown gunman at a forward deployed sentry post on Nov. 16.
The bullet hit the enlisted ROK soldier in the head around 5 p.m. while he was on duty.
He died on his way to a hospital in a military ambulance. The soldier was in charge of monitoring the infrared detection equipment deployed along the DMZ.
The Seoul-based Dong-A Ilbo reported that the killed soldier was a gregarious young man with a charming personality.
South Korea’s left-leaning President Moon Jae-In signed a surprise military pact with North Korea’s Kim Jong-Un recently that demands dismantling many forward deployed guard posts along the DMZ demarcation line in order to reduce bilateral military tensions.
But for many, especially the U.S. commanders stationed in South Korea, the move was dangerous because it voluntarily removed a vital early warning system against North Korea’s frequently-touted blitzkrieg attacks, such as the one that took place on June 25, 1950 that started the Korean War.
While foul play was widely suspected, the South Korean government understandably played down the incident and has not provided any official details on whether the government intends to investigate the incident.
Seoul has also been silent on whether the incident was intentional by the North Korean side or whether it was an accident.
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