Marine chief hints at stepping down over shooting

Marine Corps Commander Yoo Nak-joon has said that he would take responsibility for his fault concerning the recent shooting rampage that killed four marines, officials said Thursday.

His remarks were interpreted as his intention to step down. A marine public affairs officer said he did offer to resign. Another later said that the official made a “mistake,” confusing the media.

In the wake of the shooting incident and a set of recent suicide cases in the Marine Corps, some have called for his resignation. They argue that the deadly incidents took place due to mental or physical abuse in the corps.

“On Tuesday, the commander visited the defense minister to report on the marine plan to hold a debate on how to ameliorate the marine culture. There, he told the minister that he would take responsibility should there be fault on his part,” Lieut. Col. Choo told reporters.

“It was his mistake (to say that he offered to resign) in the process of explaining what happened.”

Meanwhile, earlier in the day, another marine apparently killed himself at his office in Gimpo, Gyeonggi Province. The chief warrant officer, surnamed Bae, appears to have hanged himself, officials said. No suicide note has been found.

(sshluck@heraldcorp.com)