Soldier on duty wields knife in Paju, injures one civilian

Social Affairs

Published: 27 Oct. 2023, 11:19 Updated: 27 Oct. 2023, 14:35

Soldier on duty wields knife in Paju, injures one civilian

A stock image of Korean soldiers. [SHUTTERSTOCK]

An active-duty Army soldier was arrested Friday for wielding a knife at people in Paju, Gyeonggi, earlier that day.

At around 8:45 a.m. on Friday, an Army corporal in his 20s suddenly jumped out of a military armored vehicle on a road in Jori-eup, Paju, according to police and military authorities.

According to witnesses, the soldier threatened people with a military bayonet, crossed the road to block another person’s car and threatened the driver to hand over the car keys.

Military personnel and the people near him tried to subdue the corporal, and one man in his 30s suffered an injury on his hand in the process. Police immediately received a report about the scuffle.

Traffic accidents resulted as cars tried to avoid the altercation in the middle of the road, according to witnesses.

The soldier, who belonged to the Army’s armored unit, was said to have committed the crime in the middle of training scheduled that day.

Police are investigating the circumstances after detaining the solider and plan to hand the case over to military authorities.

“The military is cooperating with police to investigate the exact circumstances of the incident, and we plan to handle it sternly according to the results of the investigation,” the Army said in a statement.

The Army added that it was “regrettable” that the incident occurred in the middle of a military exercise and offered its “deepest sympathy to the victim,” adding it will “take an active interest in the treatment” process.

BY SARAH KIM [kim.sarah@joongang.co.kr]