South Korea halts live-fire drills after girl hit by stray bullet

2026-03-19 - 02:21

SOUTH KOREA — 19 March 2026, South Korea’s military has suspended all live-fire drills involving small arms, including rifles and handguns, after a young girl was struck by a suspected stray bullet at a playground near a school in Daegu. According to BBC News, the victim, a first-grade elementary school student, was taken to hospital after being hit near the neck on the afternoon of 16 March. She has since been discharged and allowed to return home. Authorities said the playground is located about 1.5 km from a military firing range, where a live-fire exercise was taking place at the time. An investigation is underway to determine whether the girl’s injury was caused by the drill. Local outlet The Korea Herald reported that the shooting range, built in 1995, is equipped with protective barriers designed to stop bullets. While live-fire military exercises across the country are generally conducted without incident, rare cases involving civilians have occurred. In 2020, a female golf caddie in South Jeolla province required emergency surgery after being struck in the head by a stray bullet from a nearby military range. More recently, the military also suspended live-fire drills and training flights last year after a fighter jet accidentally dropped bombs on a village in Pocheon, injuring nearly 30 civilians.