[Exclusive] Soldier in Unit Guarding Cheongwadae Chooses Extreme Action with Live Ammunition

Sergeant in Subordinate Unit of SuBangSa Chooses Extreme Measure with Live Ammo
Another Sergeant Committed Suicide a Month Ago... Controversy Over Unit Management Negligence

The Blue House in Seoul on the 25th, where President Moon Jae-in and President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol continue to clash over the relocation of the office and the appointment of the Governor of the Bank of Korea. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] It has been confirmed that a military unit responsible for guarding the Blue House experienced an incident a week ago where a soldier took his own life using a firearm. While the occurrence of a shooting accident in a military unit tasked with presidential security is shocking, it is even more concerning that the unit was completely unaware of the removal of live ammunition, which requires commander approval. This reveals significant flaws in firearm management, raising concerns that military discipline has become lax toward the end of the administration.

According to military officials on the 20th, Sergeant Kim of the 1st Security Battalion under the Capital Defense Command (SuBangSa) made an extreme choice on the 12th using a K2 rifle loaded with live ammunition in a parking lot within an outpost about 1 km from the Blue House. The military authorities are currently investigating, but the specific reasons behind this irreversible decision have not been disclosed.

The shooting accident in the military unit responsible for presidential security has been assessed as a serious issue in military discipline. Sergeant Kim, who made the extreme choice, had taken live ammunition from a sealed ammunition storage box, but SuBangSa was completely unaware of this until after the incident. There was also a firearm accident involving live ammunition from a subordinate unit of SuBangSa just a month ago. Although the removal and entry of live ammunition require commander approval, the management system’s flaws have not been improved despite consecutive accidents. Notably, the 12th, the day of the incident, was the first day of the “Crisis Management Staff Training” (CMST), a preliminary exercise before the Korea-U.S. Combined Command Post Exercise. CMST is a joint staff-led response drill simulating situations such as localized provocations and terrorism. This means that proper weapon management was not maintained even on the day an important exercise began.

Recently, the military authorities were also criticized for their delayed announcement of North Korea’s missile launch. The Joint Chiefs of Staff announced on the 17th that North Korea had launched a missile, but this came after North Korea’s Korean Central News Agency reported on the same day that a new tactical guided weapon was test-fired under the observation of Chairman Kim Jong-un. Given the heightened military tension with North Korea, there were calls for immediate notification.

However, some view this as a case of commanders’ negligence in unit management. Lieutenant General Kim Do-gyun, Commander of the Army Capital Defense Command, emphasized in an interview with the military media outlet Defense Daily on the 9th of last month that “Seoul is the center of South Korea’s security,” and highlighted exposure to direct military threats such as enemy long-range artillery, missiles, aircraft, and drones. While stressing national security, he appeared less attentive to discipline issues within subordinate units.

A military official stated, “So far, the cause of the accident does not seem related to the unit,” adding, “We plan to investigate the exact cause of the accident and the circumstances of the live ammunition leakage, review the management system, and prepare countermeasures.” A Blue House official said, “We have not yet received any reports related to this.”

Although discipline may loosen toward the end of an administration, considering the recent escalation of tensions on the Korean Peninsula, there is no room for complacency. The Korea-U.S. joint exercises coincide with the “90th Anniversary of the Founding of the Korean People’s Revolutionary Army (Anti-Japanese Guerrilla)” (April 25), during which North Korea is expected to hold a military parade. It is anticipated that North Korea may reveal new multiple warhead intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) or new short- and medium-range ballistic missiles capable of carrying small nuclear warheads at this parade.

Shin Won-sik, a member of the National Assembly’s Defense Committee from the People Power Party, said, “Special attention must be paid to prevent any lapse in discipline within the key units responsible for Blue House security during the transition of power and joint exercises.”

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