South Korea halts army drills after stray bullet hits child in playground

WEB DESK: The South Korean army has suspended all individual firearms training nationwide following an incident where a young girl was struck by a stray bullet while playing.

The child was at a playground in the southern city of Daegu on Monday when she was hit in the neck. Officials confirmed that she was immediately rushed to a local hospital, where doctors discovered a bullet tip lodged in her wound.

According to Dawn News, fortunately, she was discharged after treatment as her injuries were not deemed life-threatening.

Bae Seok-jin, head of the army’s public relations office, confirmed the suspension during a press briefing on Tuesday. “The army has halted all firing drills of individual firearms in the wake of the incident,” he stated, noting that a live-fire exercise was taking place at a nearby shooting range at the precise time of the accident.

A history of military mishaps

This latest event has reignited public concern regarding the safety of civilian areas situated near military installations. An investigation has been launched to determine how the round escaped the perimeter of the range and reached the residential playground.

This is not the first time South Korea’s intense military readiness has resulted in civilian casualties. In 2020, a golf caddie survived an emergency operation after being struck by a stray bullet from a military range in South Jeolla.

More recently, a joint exercise with US forces last year saw two fighter jets accidentally drop eight bombs on a village near the North Korean border, an error that left nearly 30 people injured.