SEOUL, Jan. 13 (UPI) -- A South Korean marine corporal was sentenced to death Friday for shooting and killing four fellow marines on Ganghwa Island, west of Seoul, in July.
A marine private, identified only by the surname Jung, was found guilty of assisting the corporal, identified only by the name Kim, and sentenced to 20 years in prison, Yonhap News Agency reported.
The Marine Corps court said harsh punishment for the two soldiers was inevitable, because of the circumstances of their crimes.
Investigators found the corporal was mentally unstable at the time of the shooting, and was angered by alleged bullying and beatings at the hands of his comrades.
He was arrested after unsuccessfully trying to kill himself with a hand grenade.
After the incident, the Defense Ministry ordered all military commanders to investigate their standards of discipline for misconduct.
