"Where Are the Bullets?" Frontline Guards Operating 'Unloaded' Machine Guns... JCS Unaware

It has been reported that the South Korean Army's 1st Corps, which guards the frontline, has been conducting guard duty at guard posts (GPs) and general outpost (GOP) units without having ammunition belts linked to K6 heavy machine guns.

Amid growing concerns that this could weaken immediate response capabilities in the event of an emergency, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) stated that it had neither been reported on nor approved the change in relevant guidelines in advance.

According to the Army and other sources, the Army's 1st Corps reportedly changed its guard duty guidelines starting in the first half of this year so that K6 heavy machine guns are no longer kept in a "loaded" state with linked ammunition belts, but instead only have ammunition boxes placed next to the firearms.

The K6 heavy machine gun is a representative crew-served weapon of the South Korean military deployed to respond to emergencies such as North Korean provocations or infiltrations.

Previously, the rule was to stand guard with ammunition belts pre-linked to the machine guns, or in a "loaded" state. However, under the revised guidelines, firing is only possible after pulling an ammunition belt out of the ammunition box and connecting it to the machine gun once a situation arises.

It is known that only the Army's 1st Corps has changed its guidelines. Facing North Korean forces, the 1st Corps defends the Imjin River estuary area and the northern outskirts of Seoul, and is considered a core corps within the military due to its importance to the defense of the capital region.

The 1st Corps has reportedly not disclosed the reason for changing the guidelines.

The JCS stated that it had not received prior reports or approved the 1st Corps' guideline changes, adding that it became aware of the matter through media inquiries.

Inside and outside the military, it is being suggested that a K6 heavy machine gun accidental discharge incident that occurred at a GOP in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, last year may have influenced the background behind the guideline changes.

At the time, a single round was accidentally fired toward the North during a firearm inspection. The unit reportedly broadcasted the accidental discharge to the North immediately after the incident occurred, and there were no unusual movements by the North Korean military.

Regarding this guideline change, some voices are expressing concern that the frontline defense posture could be weakened.

When North Korean soldiers working on "border fortification" along the inter-Korean border crossed the Military Demarcation Line in the central frontline area last August, it was also the K6 heavy machine gun that our military used to fire warning shots.

The JCS has initiated an investigation into the overall guard operation guidelines of frontline corps and is reportedly verifying whether the 1st Corps' guideline change was appropriate.

Reported by Kim Minjeong | Video by Choi Gang-san | Graphics by Lee Jung-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.