The Army announced that an investigation into the death of a reservist at the 73rd Division concluded that the cause of death was pancreatitis, a condition for which the reservist had been receiving treatment prior to entering the training facility.

However, the Army acknowledged that the incident revealed some shortcomings in reserve training procedures and stated it would improve medical support systems, including the mandatory stationing of medical evacuation teams at all reserve training sites.

Choi Jang-sik, Vice Chief of Staff of the Army, disclosed the investigation results during a press briefing held at the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan today (July 2).

"An autopsy conducted in the presence of the family determined that the cause of death was pancreatitis, a condition the deceased had been receiving treatment for before entering the training," Choi said. "We also sought opinions from two private forensic institutions, which confirmed that the disease was causally linked to the death."

According to the Army, the reservist participated in the Ssangyong Exercise, held in the northern Gyeonggi Province region from May 12 to 14, as a member of the 73rd Division.

The Ssangyong Exercise is a large-scale mobilization training in which active-duty soldiers and reservists form a mobilization division and conduct training as if they were in a real-world combat scenario at their designated deployment sites.

On May 13, the second day of the training, the reservist collapsed and lost consciousness around 7:00 p.m. while moving to a night training location after dinner.

After receiving emergency aid from nearby officers, the reservist was transported to a nearby private hospital by a 119 ambulance but ultimately passed away.

The Ssangyong Exercise is known to be particularly high-intensity among reserve mobilization training programs.

Due to this, speculation arose that the intense nature of the training might have contributed to the death. However, the Army concluded, based on the autopsy and consultations with private medical institutions, that the pre-existing condition was the cause of death.

The Army explained that despite undergoing treatment for a chronic illness, the reservist had been diligently fulfilling his duties, actively participating in all training processes without missing any sessions.

The Army also clarified that allegations claiming the division commander monitored reservists with drones during the training were found to be untrue.

Nevertheless, the Army stated that the investigation into the death identified some inadequacies in medical support and safety control, and that follow-up measures would be implemented.

First, the Army decided to improve the medical support system by ensuring that medical evacuation teams are stationed at all reserve training sites.

Through this, the Army plans to establish a system within this year that can provide optimal emergency medical care within the golden hour.

In addition, the Army will supplement emergency medical personnel and expand the distribution of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) from the battalion level down to the company level.

The health questionnaire for reservists will also be improved to allow for a more thorough assessment of their health status.

While the existing questionnaire consisted of simple questions to identify chronic and infectious diseases, the new plan is to revise it to allow for a detailed assessment of past illnesses, specific symptoms, and recent health conditions.

The Army also plans to reinforce facilities such as showers, restrooms, and temporary dining areas.

"The Army recognizes the lives and safety of participating reservists as a top priority, equal to the importance of training outcomes," said Vice Chief of Staff Choi Jang-sik. "We will use this incident as an opportunity to re-examine and improve the reserve training system."