(LEAD) Army's 1st Corps commander relieved of duty over unloaded weapons directive: military

The commander of South Korea's 1st Corps, Lieutenant General Han Ki-sung, has been removed from duty following his directive for soldiers to conduct guard operations with unloaded weapons, according to the defense ministry. This decision comes amid growing concerns about the readiness and security of front-line military units. The 1st Corps, which oversees the western front, instructed its troops to use K6 heavy machine guns and K4 automatic grenade launchers with empty chambers during their guard duties.

The weapons were left with live ammunition nearby, raising questions about the reliability of the military's operational protocols. In a statement, the ministry confirmed that General Han has been excluded from his duties as part of the ongoing investigation into this incident. It is worth noting that front-line units are typically mandated to keep their firearms loaded, and this directive appears to have deviated from established procedures.

The Army Ground Operations Command has initiated a thorough inspection across all five of the country's armored corps to identify any similar instances of protocol deviation and to evaluate the overall handling of firearms. In the meantime, the 1st Corps will be overseen by the commander of the Army's Training and Doctrine Command, who will temporarily assume command of the division.

This development follows another recent controversy involving the 1st Corps. Last week, the corps was implicated in a communication mishap between South Korean and U.S. military forces concerning a U.S. drone that approached the inter-Korean border. The South Korean military had deployed anti-air defense systems upon spotting the unmanned aerial vehicle south of a general outpost in northern Gyeonggi Province.

However, the drone was later identified as a U.S. drone, and South Korea did not engage in any interception attempts. The U.S. Forces Korea claimed to have provided prior notice of the planned drone flight to the South Korean military, although sources suggest this notification may have been lost in transmission or overlooked at a higher level.