South Korea Suspends Rifle Drills After Girl at Playground Injured by Suspected Stray Bullet

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Seoul: South Korea’s Army has suspended rifle shooting drills nationwide to conduct safety inspections after an elementary school girl was injured by a suspected stray bullet in Daegu, authorities said on Tuesday.

The incident occurred at around 4:03 p.m. on Monday at a playground near Gukwoo Elementary School. Police and military officials said the girl was struck below the neck by an object believed to be a bullet.

Her injuries were not life-threatening, and she has since been treated and discharged from hospital. Her identity has not been disclosed.

Military officials said a shooting range operated by a nearby Army unit is located about 1.4 kilometres from the playground, where rifle training with live ammunition was under way at the time of the incident.

The Army has launched an investigation to determine whether the object was indeed a bullet and whether it originated from the training exercise.

Following the incident, authorities ordered safety inspections at firing ranges across the country and temporarily suspended all small-arms drills.

“We will carry out safety inspections at all Army firing ranges and assess potential risks before deciding when to resume training,” an Army official said.

Officials noted that the nearby range, established in 1995, has had no confirmed accidents until now and is equipped with protective barriers designed to contain fired rounds.

While live-fire military exercises are routinely conducted in South Korea, injuries involving civilians are rare.

However, isolated incidents have occurred. In 2020, a golf caddie in Damyang County was struck by a bullet during nearby military training, prompting an investigation.

Authorities said the latest case will focus on whether safety protocols were properly followed and whether additional safeguards are needed to prevent similar incidents.