The South Korean military said Tuesday it is investigating a case in which a newly enlisted soldier left his gun inside a civilian rental car earlier this month.
The soldier, dispatched to a unit in the southeastern region, was being escorted by a non-commissioned officer via the rented car Thursday. He exited the car without taking the K2 rifle, a standard-issue weapon for the military. Neither the soldier nor the accompanying officer realized the weapon had been left behind.
The gun was discovered three days later by another renter, who reported to police that a rifle was inside the rental car. The soldier's army unit has since recovered the gun from the rental car business.
The military unit had reportedly failed to acknowledge the absence of the weapon until it was brought to police attention, and the incident sparked criticism over possible careless gun management on the military’s part.
"Not being able to realize that a gun is missing for three days is a matter of military discipline," said Rep. Choo Mi-ae of the parliamentary National Defense Committee on the case.
Crimes committed by those in the military are subject to the Military Criminal Act. Under Article 74 of the act, a person responsible for losing military supplies, including firearms, ammunition and explosives, can be punished by a maximum of 5 years in prison or a fine of 3 million won ($2,200).
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com
