By Jun Ji-hye
The Ministry of National Defense said Wednesday that it will recall 55,000 grenades made on the same production line as two that accidentally exploded last week and in September of last year.
“The ministry decided to recall all grenades that have the same lot number as the ones that exploded,” a ministry official said, asking not to be named.
The lot number is an alphanumeric code that details the year of production and the place where the grenades were manufactured.
An Army sergeant first-class died last week at an Army recruit training center in Daegu, while another sergeant first-class and a recruit were wounded.
The ministry also confirmed that the lot number of the grenade in the Daegu explosion was the same as that of the grenade that accidently exploded a year ago during a Marine Corp training exercise.
The ministry initially planned to carry out a non-destructive test of 2,020 samples of 55,000 grenades, but later decided to recall the entire batch amid mounting concerns over soldiers’ safety.
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