Q&A Beattie / Kim / South Korea Soldiers
Saturday's Shooting Deaths Of Five South Korean Soldiers And The Wounding Of Seven Others At A Northeast Guard Post By Another South Korean Soldier Has Renewed Questions About The Need For Reform Within The South Korean Military, Which Is Able To Maintain Its Force Strength Largely Throught Conscription Of Young Men Aged 18-35. According To The Website Global Firepower, South Korea's Active Duty Frontline Force Was 640,000 As Of March 2014, With Nearly 3-Million In Reserves, As The Country Maintains An Uneasy Armistice With North Korea. The 22-Year Old Sergeant Was Captured Monday After Sustaining An Apparent Non-Life-Threatening, Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound. According To The Defense Ministry, The Soldiers Was Classified As Someone Who Shows Suicidal Tendencies, But Later Tests Showed Improvement And That He Only Needed Focused Attention To Complete His General Duties. James Kim, A Security Analyst With The Seoul-Based Assan Institute For Policy Studies, Told VOA's Victor Beattie Some Of The Soldiers Suffer From A Mental Condition That Other Militaries Often Face, P-T-S-D, Or Post -Traumatic Stress Disorder, From Exposure To Combat Conditions.