[1] Criteria for determining whether suicide, which is death due to self-injury under Article 3-2 (4) of the former Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Support of and Support for Persons of Distinguished Services to the State, depends on free will

[2] The case reversing the judgment of the court below that the suicide was committed in a state beyond the scope of free will, solely on the ground that there is a proximate causal relation between the cruel act caused by an appointed soldier, etc. and the act of self-injury during military service

[1] Death due to self-injury under Article 3-2 (4) of the former Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Honorable Treatment of and Support for Persons, etc. of Distinguished Services to the State (amended by Presidential Decree No. 17565, Mar. 30, 2002) refers to death according to the free will. The fact that a soldier's cruel act committed by his superior, etc. was a direct motive or an important cause for the resolution of suicide cannot be said to be based on the free will. Whether suicide is free will or not should be determined by comprehensively taking into account the person's age and character, personality and behavior, harsh behavior and degree, physical and mental psychological situation of the person who committed the suicide, the existence of a disease related to the suicide, surrounding circumstances surrounding the person who committed the suicide, the timing and place of the harsh act and other circumstances of the suicide.

[2] The case reversing the judgment of the court below that the suicide was committed in a state beyond the scope of free will, solely on the ground that there is a proximate causal relation between the cruel act caused by an appointed soldier, etc. and the act of self-injury during military service

[1] Article 3-2 subparagraph 4 of the former Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Honorable Treatment of and Support for Persons of Distinguished Services to the State (amended by Presidential Decree No. 17565 of March 30, 2002) / [2] Article 3-2 subparagraph 4 of the former Enforcement Decree of the Act on the Honorable Treatment of and Support for Persons of Distinguished Services to the State (amended by Presidential Decree

[1] Supreme Court Decision 2003Du1325 Delivered on June 13, 2003, Supreme Court Decision 2002Du4136 Delivered on November 14, 2003

Plaintiff (Attorney Hun-young, Counsel for the plaintiff-appellant)

The Head of the Seoul Northern Branch Office

Seoul High Court Decision 2002Nu9034 delivered on January 23, 2003

The judgment below is reversed, and the case is remanded to Seoul High Court.

The grounds of appeal are examined.

1. 원심은 그 채용 증거들을 종합하여, 원고의 아들인 소외 1(이하 '망인'이라 한다)은 1979. 6. 16.생으로 1999. 12. 6. 육군에 입대하여 2000. 3. 13. 제2보병사단 제63포병대대 제2포대에 전입되어 조종수로 근무하게 된 사실, 망인은 온순·성실하나 아버지를 일찍 여의고 어려운 가정형편으로 인하여 내성적이고 소극적인 성격이어서 상명하복의 엄격한 통제사회인 군 생활에 쉽게 적응하지 못하고 있었는데, 망인과 같은 소속 포대의 선임병인 일병 소외 2는 2000. 3. 22.부터 같은 달 26.까지 매일 일석점호 후 약 30분에서 1시간 가량 소속 포대 제1내무실 등에서 망인에게 "제대로 하지 않으면 죽여 버린다."고 협박하며 잠을 재우지 않고 고참병 서열, 암구호 전파방법, 티오티(TOT)사격절차, 포상정리정돈, 주변부대 차량번호 등을 암기하도록 강요하고, 같은 달 26. 07:30경에는 소속 포대 제6포상 진지 내 장약통 앞에서 흡연이 금지되어 있음에도 망인이 담배를 피웠다는 이유로 오른손 바닥으로 망인의 왼쪽 뺨을 1회 때리는 등의 폭행을 한 사실, 망인은 소외 2의 위와 같은 강요행위 등으로 인해 육체적·정신적으로 심한 고통을 받아오던 중 자신의 어머니인 원고에게 전화하여 "선임병들의 강요행위 등으로 인해 너무 힘들어 죽고 싶다."라는 말까지 하였고, 이에 망인의 외삼촌이 망인이 소속한 포대의 포대장인 대위 소외 3에게 전화하여 "망인이 선임병들로부터 암기강요 등을 당하면서 잠을 못 자고 있으니 조치해 달라."고 하였으나, 망인이 사망하기까지 특별한 조치는 취해지지 아니하였으며, 한편 위와 같이 망인이 원고에게 전화한 사실이 선임병들에게 알려져 망인은 같은 소속 포대 선임병들로부터 따돌림까지 당하게 된 사실, 그러던 중 망인은 2000. 3. 30. 16:00경 같은 소속 포대 포술담당관인 중사 소외 4와 면담을 하게 되었는데, 소외 4는 "조종수를 못하겠으니 운전병으로 보직 조정을 해 달라."는 망인에게, "군대에서 하기 싫으면 나가라, 임마, 이 새끼야, 개새끼야" 등의 욕설·폭언을 하자, 망인은 이에 절망하여 자살한 것을 결의하고 같은 날 16:20경부터 17:50경 사이에 자신의 군인수첩에 "선임병의 횡포가 싫다."는 등의 내용의 유서 5장을 남기고 소속 포대 야외화장실 서까래에 자신의 야전상의 허리끈을 이용하여 목을 매어 자살한 사실을 인정한 다음, 온순한 성격으로 전입한 지 얼마 되지 않아 모든 것이 생소한 시점에서 엄격한 통제가 요구되는 군생활을 제대로 잘 적응하지 못하고 있던 망인에게 소외 2, 소외 4가 선임병 또는 간부로서 훈계나 교육의 한계를 넘어 강요, 구타, 폭언 등 가혹행위를 하였고, 일반 사회와는 달리 엄격한 규율과 집단행동이 중시되는 군대 사회에서는 그 통제성과 폐쇄성으로 인하여 상급자로부터의 강요 등 가혹행위와 그로 인한 피해가 일반 사회에서의 그것보다 피해자에게 미치는 영향이 훨씬 크다는 점에서 비추어, 달리 망인이 자살할 만한 특별한 사정을 찾아 볼 수 없는 이 사건에서, 망인의 사망은 선임병 등의 위와 같은 강요 등 가혹행위와 상당인과관계가 있다 할 것이고, 망인의 정상적이고 자유로운 의지의 범위를 벗어난 것이어서, 망인의 자살은 구 국가유공자등예우및지원에관한법률시행령(2002. 3. 30. 대통령령 제17565호로 개정되기 전의 것) 제3조의2 단서 제4호 소정의 자해행위에 해당하지 아니한다 할 것이므로, 망인은 구 국가유공자등예우및지원에관한법률(2002. 1. 26. 법률 제6648호로 개정되기 전의 것, 이하 '법'이라 한다) 제4조 제1항 제5호 소정의 군인으로서 직무수행중 사망한 경우에 해당하고, 따라서 망인의 사망이 자해행위로 인한 것이라는 이유로 망인의 유족인 원고가 국가유공자유족에 해당하지 않는다고 결정한 피고의 이 사건 처분은 위법하다고 판단하였다.

2. Where a soldier died in the course of performing his/her duties, it constitutes a death on duty as stipulated in the proviso of Article 2 (1) of the State Compensation Act. In such a case, his/her bereaved family members shall be entitled to receive pension and accident compensation as stipulated in the Military Pension Act. However, if the death is self-injury as stipulated in the proviso of Article 3-2 (4) of the Enforcement Decree of the Military Pension Act, or is intentional as stipulated in Article 75 (2) of the Enforcement Decree of the Military Pension Act, the pension or accident compensation as stipulated in the Military Pension Act shall not be paid. Meanwhile, the Act and the Enforcement Decree of the Military Pension Act provide that persons who have contributed to or sacrificed the State and their bereaved family members shall be treated as persons who have rendered distinguished services to the State and their bereaved family members in accordance with the extent of their contributions and sacrifice and contribute to the improvement of their welfare and shall be treated as persons who have rendered distinguished services to the State and their bereaved family members in accordance with the purpose and basic principles of suicide and compensation system, and shall not be considered as a whole of the proviso of Article 2 (3) of the Act.

Examining the record, relevant statutes, and the legal principles as seen earlier, in this case, the above cruel act such as an appointed soldier was a hostile motive and an important cause to cause the deceased to resolve a suicide. Therefore, it cannot be denied that there was a proximate causal relation between the act of appointment and the deceased’s suicide. However, considering the deceased’s age, character and conduct, details and degree of suspicion, surrounding circumstances where the deceased was faced with, the deceased’s act of harsh treatment, the time and location of the act of harsh treatment, the mental condition and psychological condition of the deceased, which may be taken from the remaining tension before the deceased’s suicide, are due to a weak character, and the deceased’s suicide was committed according to his free will, and thus, the deceased’s death constitutes a death by self-injury as prescribed in Article 3-2 proviso 4 of the Enforcement Decree.

Nevertheless, the judgment of the court below that the deceased's suicide was committed in a state beyond the free will of the deceased solely on the ground that there was a proximate causal relation between the deceased's cruel act caused by his/her appointed soldier and the deceased's suicide. Thus, the judgment below erred by misapprehending the facts against the rules of evidence or by misapprehending the legal principles on the death due to self-injury under Article 3-2 (4) of the Enforcement Decree of the Act, which affected the conclusion of the judgment.

The ground of appeal pointing this out is with merit.

3. Therefore, the lower judgment is reversed, and the case is remanded to the lower court for a new trial and determination. It is so decided as per Disposition by the assent of all participating Justices on the bench.

Justices Shin Shin-chul (Presiding Justice)