A young girl was injured after being struck by an object suspected to be a stray bullet while at a playground in Daegu, South Korea. The incident occurred on Monday afternoon, with the child hit near the neck and taken to hospital for treatment. She has since been discharged.
Authorities confirmed that a military live-fire training exercise was taking place at the time at a shooting range approximately 1.5km from the playground. The range, built in 1995, is equipped with protective barriers designed to catch bullets. Investigations are underway to determine whether the injury was caused by the drill.
Following the incident, South Korea’s military suspended all shooting drills involving small firearms, including rifles and handguns. Officials are reviewing safety controls, including separation distances between training areas and public spaces.
Live-fire exercises in South Korea have generally occurred without incident, though rare cases of civilian injury have been recorded. In 2020, a civilian was seriously injured by a stray bullet near a military range, and in a separate incident last year, training activities were halted after fighter jets accidentally dropped bombs on a village, injuring multiple civilians.
