20,000 Live Rounds Leaked, but Only Light Penalties Issued

[Anchor]

In February of last year, 20,000 rounds of live ammunition were leaked from the shooting range at the Jincheon National Training Center, but it has been confirmed that the sports committee only issued light disciplinary actions to two working-level officials. It was also revealed that a senior official from the department that should have managed the leaked ammunition served as the chair of this disciplinary committee.

Reporter Go Jeong-hyeon reports.

[Reporter]

In October of last year, during the National Assembly audit of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee.

Facing allegations that live ammunition had been taken out of the shooting range at the Jincheon National Training Center without authorization, the committee pledged an investigation.

[Yoo Seung-min / President of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (October 27 of last year): "I certainly believe that our Korean Sport & Olympic Committee also bears a great deal of responsibility."]

Three days later, the sports committee issued a press release stating that "a comprehensive survey found no problems." However, a subsequent government audit revealed that in February of last year, 20,000 rounds of live ammunition were removed from the armory at the Jincheon National Training Center shooting range and illegally distributed on the market.

The shooting coach who took out the live ammunition was brought to trial.

So, what kind of disciplinary actions did the sports committee officials face?

These are the minutes of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee's disciplinary committee obtained by SBS through the office of Democratic Party Representative Jin Sun-mee.

It was confirmed that this past May, the committee handed down only light disciplinary actions: a two-month pay cut to shooting range manager A, and a reprimand to B, the former head of the safety department at the training center.

Furthermore, the grounds for the disciplinary actions were limited to "inappropriate reporting," such as drafting a false press release.

Later, holding them accountable for ammunition management as well, the government demanded that the committee impose "at least a light disciplinary action" on A, but the committee refused, citing reasons such as that he was "someone who will soon reach retirement age" or that it would constitute "double penalty."

It was also revealed that C, who served as head of the department responsible for live ammunition management, chaired the disciplinary committee for A and B.

At the time, B requested C's recusal from the committee, stating, "C is the person who ordered the drafting of the press release in question over the phone," but the request was rejected.

In response to criticism that the sports committee, having had major lapses in ammunition management, conducted lax follow-up disciplinary action, the committee explained, "The disciplinary process was conducted in accordance with regulations." C stated, "I never received any report from A regarding ammunition management, nor did I ever sign off on anything related to it."

(Video by Lee Seung-hwan, Kim Yong-woo | Video Editing by Wi Won-yang | Graphics by Kim Min-young)

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