It has been revealed that the Army's 1st Corps, which oversees the western front, has been conducting guard operations at general outpost (GOP) and front-line guard post (GP) units without loading live ammunition into K-6 heavy machine guns.

According to the military on the 29th, the 1st Corps has changed its guard duty guidelines starting in the first half of this year, instructing troops not to chamber live rounds in K-6 heavy machine guns during GP and GOP guard operations, but instead to keep ammunition cans filled with live rounds placed nearby.

The K-6 heavy machine gun is the largest-caliber firearm operated by South Korea's military, capable of firing 12.7 mm rounds at a rate of 600 rounds per minute.

Its effective range is around 1.8 kilometers.

Equipped with powerful firepower and a long range, it is a crew-served weapon deployed at front-line outposts. The existing guard duty principle was to keep belt-fed live ammunition loaded for immediate response in the event of a sudden situation.

While the 1st Corps did not disclose the reason for changing its guidelines to omit loading live rounds into the K-6, it is presumed to be a measure to prevent accidental weapon discharges.

In fact, accidental discharges of K-6 heavy machine guns loaded with live rounds have occasionally occurred at front-line GOP and GP posts, and each time, the military has notified North Korean forces of the accidental firing via loudspeaker broadcasts targeting the North.

However, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS), which holds overall command of South Korean military operations, reportedly was unaware of the 1st Corps' change in guard duty guidelines.

A JCS official stated, "Currently, the standard principle for our military's weapon operation in front-line areas such as GPs and GOPs is to load live ammunition," adding, "Regarding the exceptional operation by certain units, we plan to take necessary measures after conducting an on-site check."

(Photo: Yonhap News)