By Lee Min-hyung
The Army has come under criticism for accidentally firing two mortar shells into a mountainous area in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, while carrying out an artillery drill last month.
According to the Army, three platoons were participating in the drill at a firing range near the border city, Nov. 22, but two 600 millimeter mortars deviated away from the target area by about 800 meters and exploded in the mountainous region. No casualties were reported.
Critics said that if the shells had hit houses in the area, huge physical damage and civilian casualties would have been incurred.
"We will conduct a thorough investigation into the accident to find out whether the units failed to follow safety guidelines," an official from the armed forces said Tuesday. "We will also take appropriate measures to find out who is responsible for the incident."
The Army was supposed to be using 15 mortars for the live-fire exercise, but suspended operations immediately. The armed forces have formed a joint investigation team comprised of military police and incident inspection units.
The incident occurred as officers in charge failed to calculate firing data for the mortars accurately, according to the Army.
"We feel a strong sense of responsibility for the accidental firing and will do the utmost to come up with stricter safety measures to prevent any recurrence," said the official.
Some observers argued that the incident occurred partly because the Army could not carry out the exercise near the military demarcation line (MDL) as it has to abide by an inter-Korean agreement signed recently.
The comprehensive military agreement banned the two Koreas from conducting artillery drills and regimental-level field training within 10 kilometers from the border.
As a result, other training areas, including the one where the incident took place, are being used as replacements.
But the Army said the incident had nothing to do with being unable to use the "land buffer zone."
It added that six officers in charge of the exercise had been sent before a military disciplinary committee. The Army also said it conducted a safety check on the live-fire range after the incident and ordered officers there to put a top priority on safety during any firing exercises.
The Army has come under criticism for accidentally firing two mortar shells into a mountainous area in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, while carrying out an artillery drill last month.
According to the Army, three platoons were participating in the drill at a firing range near the border city, Nov. 22, but two 600 millimeter mortars deviated away from the target area by about 800 meters and exploded in the mountainous region. No casualties were reported.
Critics said that if the shells had hit houses in the area, huge physical damage and civilian casualties would have been incurred.
"We will conduct a thorough investigation into the accident to find out whether the units failed to follow safety guidelines," an official from the armed forces said Tuesday. "We will also take appropriate measures to find out who is responsible for the incident."
The Army was supposed to be using 15 mortars for the live-fire exercise, but suspended operations immediately. The armed forces have formed a joint investigation team comprised of military police and incident inspection units.
The incident occurred as officers in charge failed to calculate firing data for the mortars accurately, according to the Army.
"We feel a strong sense of responsibility for the accidental firing and will do the utmost to come up with stricter safety measures to prevent any recurrence," said the official.
Some observers argued that the incident occurred partly because the Army could not carry out the exercise near the military demarcation line (MDL) as it has to abide by an inter-Korean agreement signed recently.
The comprehensive military agreement banned the two Koreas from conducting artillery drills and regimental-level field training within 10 kilometers from the border.
As a result, other training areas, including the one where the incident took place, are being used as replacements.
But the Army said the incident had nothing to do with being unable to use the "land buffer zone."
It added that six officers in charge of the exercise had been sent before a military disciplinary committee. The Army also said it conducted a safety check on the live-fire range after the incident and ordered officers there to put a top priority on safety during any firing exercises.
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