South Korea military has suspended certain training exercises nationwide after a child was injured by a suspected stray bullet, prompting an official investigation into the incident.
According to the army, the incident took place on Monday at a playground in the southern city of Daegu. The child, whose identity has not been disclosed, was struck in the neck by what authorities believe was a stray bullet fired from a nearby military shooting range.
Suspected stray bullet from military drill hits girl at playground https://t.co/a3vdwMYt0q
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Officials said the injured child was immediately taken to hospital, where she received treatment and was later discharged. Medical staff confirmed that her injuries were not life-threatening, providing some relief amid public concern.
Speaking at a press briefing, army public relations chief Bae Seok-jin announced that all live-fire drills involving individual firearms have been temporarily halted as a precautionary measure. He added that a shooting exercise was underway at the time of the incident, raising questions about safety protocols at military training facilities.
An army official, cited by Yonhap News Agency, revealed that the tip of the bullet was recovered from the child’s wound during medical treatment, strengthening the likelihood that the projectile originated from the nearby range.
The military has since launched a comprehensive probe to determine the exact cause of the accident and assess whether negligence or procedural lapses played a role.
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This is not the first such incident in South Korea. In 2020, a golf caddie in South Jeolla Province was seriously injured after being hit by a stray bullet from a military exercise. More recently, last year, two fighter jets accidentally dropped eight bombs on a village near the border with North Korea during joint drills with US forces, injuring nearly 30 civilians.
The latest incident has renewed concerns over military safety measures near civilian areas.