Korea army nabs killer soldier after 2-day hunt
Print Edition
THE South Korean army captured a soldier yesterday who it says killed five comrades then fled into the forest where he holed up with a rifle for two days before shooting himself as pursuers closed in.
The massive manhunt ended when the 22-year-old sergeant, surnamed Yim, shot himself in the upper left chest as his father and brother approached, pleading with him to surrender, a Defense Ministry official said. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said Yim was taken to a hospital but his life wasn’t in danger. He didn’t elaborate.
Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said the soldier would be handed to military investigators later. Soldiers retrieved Yim’s rifle and ammunition at the site.
South Koreans have worried about public safety in the wake of an April ferry disaster that left more than 300 people dead or missing.
Troops had been chasing Yim since authorities said he killed five fellow soldiers and wounded seven on Saturday. He then fled his frontline unit with his standard-issue K2 assault rifle. He fired on the soldiers chasing him on Sunday, injuring a platoon leader. Yesterday, officials said a soldier was wounded by suspected friendly fire.
Earlier in the day, troops surrounding Yim in the forest tossed him a mobile phone so he could talk to his father. They also threw him bread and bottled water. His parents went to the area to try to persuade him to surrender.
It wasn’t clear what triggered the rampage; there was no indication that South Korea’s bitter rival, North Korea, was involved. Yim was scheduled to complete his nearly two years of mandatory military service in September, according to defense officials.
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