South Korean soldier kills 8 colleagues

A South Korean soldier who claims he was harassed by a superior officer went on a rampage Sunday, killing eight other soldiers and seriously wounding two.

The 22-year-old man, identified only as private first class Kim, threw a grenade and fired his rifle into an army barracks where his colleagues were sleeping, the defence ministry said.

The attack happened at 2:30 in the morning at an outpost near the border with North Korea in Yeoncheon.

Kim said he went on the shooting spree in a fit of rage because the officer and other colleagues had bullied him, according to the ministry.

South Korean Defence Minister Yoon Kwang-ung issued a statement apologizing for the incident.

"As the minister in charge of national defence, I lower my head and make a sincere apology for the incident," Yoon Kwang-ung said.

South Korea has had compulsory military service for young men since the end of Korea War (1950-1953).