President Lee Jaemyung Orders Thorough Investigation and Preventive Measures After Military Explosion Accident

On the afternoon of the 10th, during training at an army unit in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, an explosion accident occurred, and the bomb disposal team is passing through the guard post. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

President Lee Jaemyung has ordered a thorough investigation into the circumstances of the military explosion accident that occurred the previous day and instructed the establishment of measures to prevent recurrence.

On September 11, President Lee stated on his social networking service (SNS), "Yesterday, an accident occurred in which our soldiers suffered burns from a simulated explosive detonation during training at their unit," adding, "I would like to express my deepest condolences to the injured soldiers and their families, who must be in great shock due to the accident."

President Lee continued, "The military authorities must thoroughly investigate the circumstances of the accident to determine the cause and establish measures to prevent such incidents from ever happening again to our soldiers who dedicate themselves to the nation. The state has a duty to ensure the treatment of soldiers injured during training and to care for their families."

He also stated, "The government will take full responsibility to ensure that the injured soldiers receive the best possible treatment and will do its utmost to support their families."

On the afternoon of September 10, an explosion occurred during training at an Army artillery unit in Jeokseong-myeon, Paju, Gyeonggi Province, injuring ten soldiers. The explosion was caused by a simulated explosive used in non-firing artillery training, and it has been reported that none of the injured soldiers are in life-threatening condition.