Lieutenant colonel charged with aggravated intimidation after allegedly firing blanks at captain who mistakenly shot at him during drill
A South Korean Army battalion commander has been brought before a military court for allegedly firing blank rounds at a subordinate captain after the officer mistakenly fired at him during a training exercise, news reports said Tuesday.
The incident occurred in late June during a tactical training exercise at an Army unit in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province.
The captain, who was serving as a company commander during the exercise, reportedly failed to hear the signal marking the end of the drill and fired a blank round at the battalion commander after mistaking him for an enemy soldier.
In response, the battalion commander, a lieutenant colonel, reportedly shouted, "You, come here," before grabbing a K2 assault rifle from another soldier and firing two blank rounds at the captain.
The lieutenant colonel was recently referred to a military court on charges including aggravated intimidation.
"The case is currently undergoing trial and disciplinary proceedings, and the Army takes the incident seriously and will take strict action in accordance with relevant laws and regulations based on the outcome of the trial," an Army official said.
cjh@heraldcorp.com
