An explosion occurred inside a military unit located in Paju-si, Gyeonggi-do on Sept. 10. According to authorities, a practice shell had exploded inside an army artillery unit while soldiers were practicing firing procedures without live ammunition. The accident resulted in a total of 10 soldiers injured, including five non-commissioned officers and five enlisted soldiers. 

 “Injuries in training are common, but they are less common than they used to be, and they are reported more often these days,” Daniel Rogers, former military officer, said. “People back then were killed routinely in training and nobody cared; now, if somebody does get hurt they (the military) care, so that’s an improvement.”

The majority of the injured individuals were burned, and two non-commissioned officers were taken to the Armed Forces Capital Hospital after sustaining severe burns. All injured troops have been found to be in stable condition with no serious threat to their lives. While the specific cause of the accident remains unidentified, military authorities are continuing to investigate to determine the exact cause. 

“People getting hurt or killed in training back then was simply just accepted–and that’s due to a result of poor leadership in the military,” Mr. Rogers said. “However, the fact that incidents like the one in Paju are being reported is a major step in preventing issues like these in the future.”