SEJONG, One recruit was killed and another noncommissioned officer was wounded Tuesday after a grenade accidentally exploded during a training session at the Army’s 32nd Infantry Division in the central city of Sejong.

The explosion occurred at around 9:50 a.m. during a grenade-throwing training session at the division’s boot camp in Sejong, 113 kilometers south of Seoul, military authorities said.

A recruit in training was transported to the military hospital in the nearby city of Daejeon in a state of cardiac arrest but was pronounced dead.

A master sergeant who commanded the training sustained serious wounds to his hand and arm, and was sent to another military hospital. The wounds were not life-threatening.

Authorities reportedly learned that the recruit in his 20s removed the grenade’s safety pin and held it in his hand without throwing it. The grenade subsequently went off while the commander ran toward him to address the situation.

The military said both of them were wearing bulletproof jackets,
adding that an investigation is under way to determine the circumstances of the accident.

The Army also instructed all military units to use training grenades instead of live ones until the exact cause of the accident is determined.

Source: Yonhap News Agency