An ombudsman bureau to investigate human rights abuses in the military will be installed at the state-run Anti-Corruption & Civil Rights Commission, military sources said Wednesday.

In response to repeated reports of abuse in the barracks, military officials have worked to establish an ombudsman system to deal regularly with such cases. Amid growing public concern over soldiers’ well-being, the Defense Ministry in August launched a committee dedicated to stamping out abuses in the military, comprised of civilian experts, government, draftees and parents of enlisted soldiers.

“Most members of the committee are saying the ombudsman program should be installed at the ACRC, which is affiliated with the Prime Minister’s Office,” the source told a local news agency. “The committee also considered having it run under the Defense Ministry, but decided against it since the public may question the legitimacy of the military’s internal investigations.”

Observers have argued that the ombudsman program for soldiers should involve civilian monitors, as the military tends to conceal internal problems. The committee is also reportedly mulling the introduction of Korea’s jury system, known here as Citizens’ Participation Trial, to make sure citizens have a say in military abuse cases.

The Defense Ministry is reportedly ready to accept the committee’s recommendation to establish the program at the ACRC. After reviewing the recommendations made by the committee, the ministry will announce 20 key assignments for reforming Korea’s military culture by Dec. 18.

The committee may also recommend preventing underqualified personnel from being enlisted, discharging soldiers deemed unfit for service, establishing an institute to monitor the mental health of enlisted personnel and reinforcing punishment of abusers in the barracks.

While the ACRC’s laundry list of duties also include protecting soldiers’ human rights, officials said the commission is currently short-handed and a separate organization dealing exclusively with the needs of military personnel is necessary.

Korean military recently came under a hail of criticism in the wake of a series of hazing and abuse cases. Some even resulted in a shooting rampage or suicide of enlisted soldiers, leading to mounting calls for the military to reform what critics called a closed, rigid culture.

By Yoon Min-sik and news reports
(minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)