Two South Korean Soldiers Die Rescuing Children at Goseong Beach

On July 26, 2024, two teenage brothers aged 17 and 14 fell into the sea at the Hwa‑jin‑Po beach near the Hwa‑jin‑Po condo in Goseong County, Gangwon Province, South Korea. Their father and two soldiers in their 50s leapt into the water to rescue them. The father and the brothers reached the shore safely, but the two soldiers were swept by the waves, suffered cardiac arrest, and were taken to hospital where they later died.

The beach where the accident occurred had been closed for the season and was not staffed with safety personnel, according to the military welfare facility’s notice. Authorities are investigating the exact circumstances of the rescue and the safety management of the site.