The Ministry of National Defense announced that it has relieved Han Gi-sung, commander of the Army's 1st Corps, of his duties starting today, following recent controversies including unloaded live ammunition at the front line and a mix-up over a U.S. military drone.

Through a notice distributed to the press today, the ministry stated, "In connection with the inspection and investigation regarding recent issues involving the 1st Corps, the current corps commander has been relieved of his duties as of today," adding that "the Commander of the Army Education and Training Command will serve as the acting commander of the 1st Corps during this period."

The Army's 1st Corps, which oversees the western front line, recently sparked controversy after it was revealed that it had changed its security operation guidelines starting in the first half of this year so that crew-served weapons such as K6 heavy machine guns and K4 high-speed automatic grenade launchers would not be loaded with live ammunition during guard operations at General Outposts (GOP) and front-line Guard Posts (GP).

While operating weapons with loaded live ammunition is the standard principle for front-line units, the 1st Corps changed these security operation guidelines under the discretion of the corps commander.

As these facts came to light, the Ground Operations Command of the Army, a higher echelon unit, has been conducting a full inspection of front-line corps security operation units.

In addition, the 1st Corps is the unit that nearly shot down a U.S. Marine Corps drone on July 30 near the armistice line in Paju, mistaking it for a threat such as a North Korean military drone while it was flying as part of a South Korea-U.S. joint exercise.

Although the U.S. military notified working-level officials of the 1st Corps about the drone flight plan just before the exercise, this fact was not reported to higher units such as the Ground Operations Command or the Air Force Operations Command.

Consequently, the South Korean military judged the U.S. drone to be an "unidentified flying object," issued "Durumi," an air defense operation posture for responding to enemy drones, and prepared for interception.

Fortunately, an actual interception did not take place, and it was reportedly confirmed to be a U.S. military drone after landing.

Han Gi-sung, commander of the 1st Corps, is a graduate of the 33rd class of the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC), and was promoted to lieutenant general last November and appointed as the 1st Corps commander.

He had drawn attention as the first person from a non-Korea Military Academy background to assume the key military post of 1st Corps commander.

(Photo provided by the Army's 1st Corps, Yonhap News)