(2nd LD) Army's 1st Corps commander relieved of duty over unloaded weapons directive, U.S. drone mishap: military

The commander of the Army's 1st Corps has been relieved of duty following a series of controversies surrounding his directives to deploy troops with unloaded weapons and a recent U.S. drone mishap near the inter-Korean border. The 1st Corps instructed soldiers to use unloaded K6 heavy machine guns and K4 automatic grenade launchers during guard duty, leading to concerns over military readiness and security.

Lt. Gen. Han Ki-sung, the corps commander, has been excluded from duty pending the ongoing investigation. Additionally, the Army Ground Operations Command is conducting inspections across all five corps to assess whether similar protocol changes have been implemented elsewhere. The 1st Corps is also being held accountable for a recent incident involving a mix-up between South Korean and U.S. forces over a U.S. spy drone flying near the border.

The South Korean military activated an anti-air defense alert system, though it did not shoot down the drone, which was later identified as a U.S. drone.

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