SEOUL - The South Korean military has initiated an investigation into the death of a young officer stationed with an overseas military contingent in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as confirmed by officials on Tuesday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the 24-year-old officer was found unconscious on the rooftop of the Akh unit's base on Monday morning. Despite being transported to a local military hospital, the officer was later pronounced dead. The deceased was a member of the Army Special Warfare Command and had been deployed to the unit in November of the previous year.
The military has announced plans to dispatch personnel to the UAE to repatriate the officer's body and determine the precise cause of death. The investigative team will also include officers from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. Under South Korean law, military police must transfer cases involving troop fatalities to the police if any signs of criminal activity are detected.
A source, who chose to remain unnamed, indicated that the military is currently not strongly considering the likelihood of foul play, based on the circumstances surrounding the officer's discovery. However, no specific details were provided to support this viewpoint.
The Akh unit, established in 2011, has been responsible for various missions, including training UAE troops in special operations and safeguarding Korean nationals in the region during emergencies. The unit's name, "Akh," translates to "brother" in Arabic.