Journal of Trauma and Injury

Review Article

Heat-related illnesses in the Republic of Korea Armed Forces: epidemiology, comparative analysis, and preventive strategies: Sunju Kim, Kun Hwang; J Trauma Inj. 2026;39(3):205-210. Published online September 2, 2026; DOI: https://doi.org/10.20408/jti.2025.0212

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Abstract PDF: Heat-related illnesses (HRIs) represent an increasingly critical threat to the health and operational readiness of the Republic of Korea (ROK) Armed Forces. Rising global temperatures, combined with Korea’s humid summers and intensive military training, have increased both the incidence and severity of HRIs among soldiers. This paper provides a comprehensive review of HRIs in the ROK military, beginning with an overview of their pathophysiology and classification, ranging from heat cramps to exertional heat stroke—the most severe and life-threatening form. We then examine recent epidemiological trends, which reveal over 1,200 documented cases between 2018 and 2023, with new recruits disproportionately affected. A comparative analysis across service branches indicates that Army personnel, who engage in high-intensity outdoor training, bear the greatest burden, while Navy and Air Force members face distinct occupational exposures in engine rooms and on airfields, respectively. The risk in the ROK military is striking in international comparison: odds ratios suggest that soldiers face more than 27 times the risk of HRIs compared with the civilian population, exceeding reported burdens in allied militaries such as the United States and Japan. Lessons from other nations, particularly the use of real-time surveillance, wearable technologies, and structured acclimatization programs, offer valuable models for ROK. Preventive strategies must therefore extend beyond medical management to include leadership accountability, environmental engineering, digital monitoring, and a cultural shift that promotes reporting. In an era of accelerating climate change, HRIs must be reframed not only as medical conditions but also as preventable threats to combat readiness, soldier welfare, and national security.; Summary

Original Articles

Estimated blood storage requirements for a North Korean invasion of South Korea and South Korea’s preparedness: Kun Hwang, Chan Yong Park; J Trauma Inj. 2025;38(3):232-236. Published online September 29, 2025; DOI: https://doi.org/10.20408/jti.2025.0061

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Purpose
Hemorrhage is the leading cause of preventable battlefield deaths, and up to 30% of casualties could survive with timely transfusions. In a potential North Korea–South Korea conflict, ensuring adequate blood supply would be crucial for military medical readiness. This study estimated the 2-week blood demand in such a conflict and evaluated South Korea’s preparedness to meet it.
Methods
A multifaceted approach was employed, incorporating historical casualty data, medical literature on battlefield transfusions, South Korean blood supply reports, and military blood logistics models. Projections indicate 80,000 to 150,000 casualties within the first 2 weeks, with 30% of military and 15% of civilian casualties requiring transfusions. The estimated total blood demand ranges from 360,000 to 600,000 L, surpassing current South Korean reserves.
Results
Despite a 100,000-L prewar storage goal, weekly replenishment needs could reach 150,000 to 300,000 L, placing immense strain on collection, storage, and distribution systems. Key shortages include packed red blood cells, fresh frozen plasma, and platelets, with projected deficits of up to 120,000, 70,000, and 30,000 units, respectively. The logistical challenges of storing and transporting platelets, given their 5-day shelf life, make them particularly vulnerable to depletion. To address these shortages, a multipronged strategy is required, including pre-war stockpiling, mobile blood banks, rapid military-civilian coordination, international cooperation with US and other allies, and prioritization of whole blood over component therapy.
Conclusions
South Korea’s current blood reserves are insufficient for a large-scale war. A combination of strategic stockpiling, military-civilian coordination, and alternative blood sources (synthetic oxygen carriers, prewar autologous donation programs) is essential to sustaining medical operations and improving survival rates.

Summary

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Severe trauma care: advances and future directions in diagnostic and therapeutic techniques and information technology support
Feifei Jin, Shu li, Xuemin Zhang, Wei Huang, Jing Zhou, Zhongdi Liu, Pan Hu, Yanqiu Wu, Zixiao Zhang, Lijun Hou, Xiangjun Bai, Tianbing Wang
Medical Review.2026; 6(3): 175. CrossRef

An Early Experience of Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta (REBOA) in the Republic of Korea: A Retrospective Multicenter Study: Joonhyeon Park, Sung Woo Jang, Byungchul Yu, Gil Jae Lee, Sung Wook Chang, Dong Hun Kim, Ye Rim Chang, Pil Young Jung; J Trauma Inj. 2020;33(3):144-152. Published online September 30, 2020; DOI: https://doi.org/10.20408/jti.2020.0051

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8 Citations

Abstract PDF

Purpose

This retrospective multicenter study analyzed trauma patients who underwent resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA) in the Republic of Korea.

Methods

This study was conducted from February 2017 to May 2018 at three regional trauma centers in the Republic of Korea. The patients were divided into two groups (cardiopulmonary resuscitation [CPR] and No-CPR) for comparative analysis based on two criteria (complication and mortality) for logistic regression analysis (LRA).

Results

There were significant differences between the CPR and No-CPR groups in mortality (p=0.003) and treatment administered (p=0.016). By LRA for complications, total occlusion has significantly lesser risk than intermittent or partial occlusion in both univariate (odds ratio [OR] 0.06, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.00-0.36, p=0.01) and multivariate (OR 0.05, 95% CI 0.00-0.38, p=0.01) analyses. The Rescue had a higher risk than the Coda or Reliant in univariate analysis (OR 4.91, 95% CI 1.14-34.25, p=0.05); however, it was not statistically significant in multivariate analysis (OR 6.98, 95% CI 1.03-74.52, p=0.07). By LRA for mortality, the CPR group was the only variable that had a significantly higher risk of mortality than the No-CPR group in both univariate (OR 17.59, 95% CI 3.05-335.25, p=0.01), and multivariate (OR 24.92, 95% CI 3.77-520.51, p=0.01) analyses.

Conclusions

This study was conducted in the early stages of REBOA implementation in the Republic of Korea and showed conflicting results from studies conducted by multiple institutions. Therefore, additional research with more accumulated data is needed.

Summary

Citations

Citations to this article as recorded by

Challenges and learning curve in adopting resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta for trauma patients: A retrospective multicenter study
Kyounghwan Kim, Byung Hee Kang, Dong Hun Kim, Byungchul Yu, Sung Wook Chang, Pil Young Jung, Yoonjung Heo, Wu Seong Kang
Injury.2026; 57(9): 113304. CrossRef
Complications associated with the use of resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta (REBOA): an updated review
Marcelo Augusto Fontenelle Ribeiro Junior, Salman M Salman, Sally M Al-Qaraghuli, Farah Makki, Riham A Abu Affan, Shahin Reza Mohseni, Megan Brenner
Trauma Surgery & Acute Care Open.2024; 9(1): e001267. CrossRef
Contemporary Utilization and Outcomes of Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta for Traumatic Noncompressible Torso Hemorrhage in Korea: A Retrospective Multi-Center Study
Yoonjung Heo, Sung Wook Chang, Byungchul Yu, Byung Hee Kang, Pil Young Jung, Kyounghwan Kim, Dong Hun Kim
Journal of Acute Care Surgery.2024; 14(1): 16. CrossRef
On the Feasibility of Using REBOA Technology for the Treatment of Patients with Polytrauma
A. I. Zhukov, N. N. Zadneprovsky, P. A. Ivanov, L. S. Kokov
Russian Sklifosovsky Journal "Emergency Medical Ca.2024; 13(1): 14. CrossRef
The meaning and principles of damage control surgery
Gil Jae Lee
Journal of the Korean Medical Association.2024; 67(12): 732. CrossRef
Editor's Choice – Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Lower Extremity Vascular Complications after Arterial Access for Resuscitative Endovascular Balloon Occlusion of the Aorta (REBOA): An Inevitable Concern?
Megan Power Foley, Stewart R. Walsh, Nathalie Doolan, Paul Vulliamy, Morgan McMonagle, Christopher Aylwin
European Journal of Vascular and Endovascular Surg.2023; 66(1): 103. CrossRef
Early experience with resuscitative endovascular balloon occlusion of the aorta for unstable pelvic fractures in the Republic of Korea: a multi-institutional study
Dong Hun Kim, Jonghwan Moon, Sung Wook Chang, Byung Hee Kang
European Journal of Trauma and Emergency Surgery.2023; 49(6): 2495. CrossRef
Comparison between external fixation and pelvic binder in patients with pelvic fracture and haemodynamic instability who underwent various haemostatic procedures
Ji Young Jang, Keum Soek Bae, Byung Hee Kang, Gil Jae Lee
Scientific Reports.2022;[Epub] CrossRef

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