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Soldiers, civilian under investigation for fatal BB gun attack on dogs

Published: 18 Jun. 2025, 16:10

Som-som, the dog shown left, died after being shot with a BB gun by three men in their 20s, including two active-duty soldiers, in Geoje, South Gyeongsang, on June 8. Photo provided to JTBC. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Police are investigating three men in their 20s, including two active-duty soldiers, who allegedly fired hundreds of BB pellets at dogs in a restaurant yard in Geoje, South Gyeongsang, leading to the death of one dog and the serious injury of two others.

The incident took place around 1 a.m. on June 8 in the town of Irun-myeon, according to Geoje Police Precinct on Wednesday.

Surveillance footage released by the dogs' owner and obtained by JTBC shows the three men wandering the property for over an hour, flashing lights, throwing stones, and filming each other while pointing what appear to be BB guns.

Hundreds of BB pellets were recovered from the yard where the men had shot at the dogs.

One of the four dogs at the scene died after receiving treatment for injuries sustained in the shooting. Two others were seriously wounded.

Geoje Police said that two of the men were on military leave at the time of the incident. Authorities have referred the case to the military. The third man, a civilian, has been booked on charges including violation of the Animal Protection Act and trespassing.

Three men in their 20s shot at four dogs in a restaurant yard in Geoje, South Gyeongsang, killing one and seriously wounding two others, as seen in this surveillance camera footage provided to JTBC. [SCREEN CAPTURE]

Investigators are working to determine the exact motive behind the attack and to identify the type of BB guns used.

The dogs’ owner claimed that the father of one of the men later visited to offer compensation. The owner also said a representative from the soldiers’ military unit called and asked not to make the incident public.

The suspects claimed they had been drinking and one was bitten on the hand after approaching the dogs. They claimed that they returned to the scene and fired warning shots out of anger, and denied any intention to kill the animals.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY HYEON YE-SEUL [[email protected]]