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K2 rifle mistakenly left in rental car raises alarm over military firearms management

Published: 10 Jun. 2025, 09:05 Updated: 10 Jun. 2025, 17:30

A soldier carrying a K2 rifle [YONHAP]

A K2 rifle was left in a rental car and discovered three days later by a civilian, raising concerns regarding military firearms management.

According to military authorities on Tuesday, a noncommissioned officer from an Army unit based in Daegu and North Gyeongsang used a rental car on June 5 to escort a newly assigned soldier who had just completed basic training.

The new recruit had been carrying a K2 rifle issued at the unit, but after arriving at the new base, got out of the vehicle and left the rifle inside.

The officer, also unaware that the rifle remained in the vehicle, returned the rental car. The unit also failed to notice the missing weapon for three full days.

It was not until June 8, when a civilian reported the rifle inside the rental car to the police, that the unit became aware of the incident. After receiving the report, the unit promptly dispatched personnel to retrieve the K2 rifle from the vehicle. No human injuries or property damage occurred.

With the rifle being recovered only after a civilian report, and not because the unit noticed it missing, serious concerns about the military’s firearms management system have been raised.

The Army said its investigative unit is currently looking into the incident and will take appropriate follow-up measures based on the findings.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY HAN YOUNG-HYE [[email protected]]