The Center for Military Human Rights says the death of a marine during a search and rescue operation amid monsoon downpours in Yecheon, North Gyeongsang Province last month was the result of reckless orders.

The center held a news conference on Tuesday and unveiled its analysis on the cause of Lance Corporal Chae Su-geun's death based on the testimonies of fellow soldiers and conversation records from an online chat group the victim was a part of.

The rights organization said that leaders of a Marine Corps division issued reckless orders while disregarding safety concerns in an effort to project the image of Marines accomplishing great feats like helping the public.

The group said that successive instructions were given in the lead-up to the operation, telling members to go into knee-deep and even waist-deep water and conduct a thorough search while wearing scarves to cover their faces lest they be photographed with a smile.

The center said that officials on site suggested that the Marines change their shoes in light of the safety regulations banning boots in the water, but the recommendation fell on deaf ears, while it was also noted that the troops were not wearing life vests.

The lance corporal went missing while trying to locate several other colleagues who were swept away by torrential rains during an operation to rescue citizens, failing to make it out of the water after falling into a stream.