Unauthorized Entry into Frontline Outpost on Motorcycle
Sentinel Fires Warning Shot Following Manual to Stop Intruder
"Gunfire Is Too Harsh" Protest... Military Considers Award
Three civilian men attempted to illegally enter a civilian control zone in Goseong-gun, Gangwon Province, while riding motorcycles, prompting a sentry to fire warning shots to stop them.
The civilians, who even grabbed the sentry's gun and protested vehemently, claim that the military overreacted. On the other hand, the military maintains that the sentry acted according to protocol and is considering awarding him with a commendation leave.
According to the military on the 27th, around noon on the 25th, three civilian men tried to illegally enter the civilian control zone at the Jejin checkpoint in Goseong, Gangwon, riding two large motorcycles. The sentry fired two warning shots in accordance with regulations to stop them, as they attempted to enter saying they wanted to go to the Unification Observatory.
The civilians strongly protested, calling it an "overreaction," and recorded a video which they submitted to some media outlets.
In the video released by JTBC, the civilians can be seen aggressively obstructing the sentry from firing warning shots. The sentry fired two warning shots toward the ground as per the rules while trying to restrain them.
After firing the warning shots, the sentry explained, "I thought you were disobeying orders, so I stopped you," to which the civilians protested, "No, you should shoot after seeing the next action." When the sentry asked, "What did you do next?" the civilians evasively replied, "What did I do?" avoiding a direct answer.
When the sentry asked, "Did you not use abusive language?" the civilians protested, "You can't shoot just because we used abusive language. Using abusive language doesn't mean you shoot first." The sentry responded, "I don't know how many times I was cursed at. How many times did you do it?"
It is reported that when the military police requested the black box footage installed on the motorcycles, the civilians refused to submit it. The military police are investigating them on charges of assaulting the sentry and obstructing duty.
Although the civilians claimed they were trying to go to the Unification Observatory, the road to the observatory is a no-entry zone for motorcycles, and passing through the checkpoint requires prior notification to the Demilitarized Zone entry office.
Contrary to the civilians' claims, the military holds that there was no problem with the sentry’s response. They are reviewing commendation leave for the sentry who properly restrained the trespassers and secured their custody according to the manual.
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