An SUV is parked in Pocheon city, South Korea, near Rodriguez Live Fire Complex, Friday, Oct. 26, 2023. The sign reads "vehicle damaged by the bullet." (Stars and Stripes)
A car driven by a South Korean man was hit by a stray bullet this week in Pocheon city, not far from a live-fire range where U.S. and South Korean troops often train, according to police.
An unidentified man around 40 years old was driving a SUV on a four-lane road when his windshield was struck by a bullet at 6:30 a.m. Tuesday, a Pocheon Police Station officer told Stars and Stripes by phone Thursday.
The driver was not injured, according to the officer. South Korean officials regularly speak to the media on a customary condition of anonymity.
The incident happened less than a mile from the Rodriguez Live Fire Complex, roughly 16 miles from the Demilitarized Zone.
A different Pocheon officer said they suspect the bullet was 5.56 mm in size, the standard round used in rifles issued by the U.S. and South Korean militaries.
The officers said an investigation into the incident is ongoing.
The bullet struck the passenger side of the SUV’s windshield, beneath the wiper, according to photos of the vehicle released by the Pocheon City Council on Friday.
South Korean army units stationed in Pocheon were not conducting ive-fire training when the incident occurred, a Fifth Corps spokesperson said by phone Friday.
Eighth Army’s public affairs director, Lt. Col. Juan Martinez, said the command is “fully cooperating” with the police investigation.
“[Eighth Army] is conducting a review to determine if there were any violations to range policies and procedures,” he wrote in an emailed statement Friday. “One of our top priorities is the safety and well-being of [South Korea’s] citizens.”
The city council in a news release Thursday described the incident as an accident but urged the U.S. and South Korean militaries to halt firing live rounds and relocate the training center elsewhere “to ensure the fundamental and permanent safety” of its residents.
“Shooting drills are no longer acceptable when the safety of the people is completely ignored, with no proper safety measures in place,” the release said.
