Dead NCO and Missing Rifle: Marine Corps Admits Completely Unaware

It was around 10:00 AM yesterday when a non-commissioned officer belonging to a Marine Corps unit in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, was found dead in an off-base accommodation.

A K1 submachine gun and a cartridge case were discovered at the scene.

The Marine Corps determined that the deceased NCO drove out of the base at around 3:00 PM on July 31, and there had been no records of base entries or exits since then.

For three days, spanning over at least 60 hours, the unit was completely unaware that a firearm and ammunition had been taken off-base without authorization.

A Marine Corps official stated, "It is true that we were unaware of the removal of the firearm and ammunition," adding, "Military investigative agencies are focusing their investigation on this matter."

The deceased NCO served as an armorer in charge of managing firearms and ammunition.

Regulations dictate that the keys to the armory and ammunition depot must be managed separately by two individuals, and whenever firearms are retrieved, both must go together to unlock the doors.

Even at the unit where the incident occurred, the two keys were kept separately in the command and control room, but this failed to prevent the unauthorized removal of the firearm.

[Shin Jong-woo / Secretary-General, Korea Defense and Security Forum: It is important to closely inspect whether the firearm and ammunition management system is capable of preventing this (unauthorized removal) and establish measures to prevent recurrence.]

In September of last year, an officer at the Korea Army Academy at Yeongcheon was also found dead after leaving with a K2 rifle and live ammunition.

Military investigative agencies and the police conducted an on-site investigation yesterday in the presence of the bereaved family, and it was reported that there were no signs of external foul play.

A military official said, "It is expected that the exact circumstances of the death can be determined only after confirming the precise time of death through an autopsy and completing mobile phone forensics."

NCO Found Dead with Firearm at Accommodation... Unit Unaware of Removal for 60 Hours (August 4, 2026, 8 News)

Reported by Choi Jae-young | Produced by Choi Yoon-seo | Video by Jung Sung-hoon | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.