An Army non-commissioned officer from the 15th Infantry Division, accused of coercing a soldier into doing forceful push-ups and causing him to suffer from severe rhabdomyolysis, has been handed over to military prosecutors.

According to the victim's legal representatives and military authorities on August 18, the Army's 3rd Metropolitan Investigation Unit forwarded Sergeant A to the Army Prosecutors Group on August 14 on charges of abuse of authority through harsh treatment and injury by assault.

Sergeant A is accused of coercing Corporal B into performing push-ups at the physical training facility of the 15th Infantry Division in Cheorwon-gun on March 9.

He told the victim, "Don't do half-hearted reps, go all the way down," while grabbing the upper part of the victim's sportswear from behind and repeatedly pulling it up and down to force continuous push-ups.

Feeling extreme physical limits, the victim repeatedly asked to stop, saying, "I'm having a very hard time, Sergeant," and "I don't think this is right." However, Sergeant A did not stop, and the victim ultimately had to perform nearly 100 push-ups.

Later experiencing severe pain in both arms, Corporal B noticed cola-colored urine. Test results showed his creatine kinase (CK) enzyme levels skyrocketed to 77,380—hundreds of times the normal range. He was diagnosed with rhabdomyolysis and hospitalized for two weeks of treatment.

The case, initially handled by the 31st District Investigation Team under the 3rd Metropolitan Investigation Unit, was handed over to the headquarters investigation team in June to conduct investigations considering the social interest and fallout following media reports.

Based on statements from unit officials and the victim's medical records, the military police concluded that the charges were substantiated.

The victim's family visited the Ministry of National Defense to submit online and offline petitions and signature forms from about 4,500 citizens urging strict punishment, while calling for a thorough investigation and severe penalties.

President Lee Jae-myung also addressed the case during a Cabinet meeting combined with an emergency economic inspection meeting on June 2, alongside a recent incident involving the death of a man in his 20s in the Reserve Forces at the Army's 73rd Infantry Division in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province. He stated, "There are public concerns that outdated military bad habits, such as unreasonable disciplinary drill, are resurfacing," and ordered a close on-site inspection into the reality of human rights violations in the military.

(Photo: Yonhap News / Provided by the victim's family)