At least 10 soldiers were injured in an explosion during a live-fire simulation drill at a South Korean military base on September 10, raising serious questions about the ‘lack of discipline’ and the level of preparedness in South Korean forces after a series of unfortunate military accidents this year.
The explosion happened at a military base in the northern border city of Paju, the South Korean Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
The blast was caused by the detonation of an explosive device used in a simulation, injuring 10 soldiers, with two reported to be in serious condition.
“At approximately 3.24 pm on Wednesday, a mock training round designed to simulate artillery fire and smoke unexpectedly exploded,” the statement said.
The accident occurred during a regular training exercise involving K9 self-propelled howitzers. At the time, the unit was conducting a mock drill on base, practicing firing procedures with explosive devices used for simulations, which are designed to produce a loud detonation and smoke. No live ammunition was used in the exercise.
The device that exploded was intended to generate smoke and a loud blast when fired from a launcher, and is not classified as live ammunition, officials said. One of the devices exploded unexpectedly, causing casualties, the Korea Herald reported.
Though the military authorities are currently investigating the exact cause of the accident, the mishap involving the K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers has raised serious questions about the level of preparedness in the South Korean military, as the force has seen a series of unfortunate accidents this year during live fire drills.
Furthermore, this is not the first accident involving the K9 Thunders, which again is a cause of worry, as the South Korean howitzers have been an international hit.
Since making its debut in 1999, the artillery gun has been ordered by at least a dozen countries, including India, which first ordered 100 K9 Thunder Vajra, a customized version of the South Korean howitzers, in 2017, and followed it with a repeat order for 100 additional K9 Vajra-T self-propelled howitzers for the Indian Army in April 2025.
Military Accidents In South Korea In 2025
South Korea’s military has come under fire for lax discipline following a series of major accidents during live-fire drills in recent months.
In April this year, the South Korean Air Force accidentally dropped two gun pods and two empty fuel tanks from a KA-1 light attack aircraft during a night training exercise held over PyeongChang, approximately 125 kilometers east of Seoul.
No casualties or property damage were reported as the components landed in a mountainous area.
Earlier in March, an Israeli-made Heron, a large uncrewed aerial reconnaissance vehicle, crashed into a Surion utility helicopter that was parked in an airfield at an Army base in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province.
The crash ignited a fire, and both the helicopter and the UAV were destroyed, causing a financial loss of at least 23 billion won (US$16.1 million).
After a detailed investigation, the South Korean military blamed the incident on “a sudden gust of strong wind.” The wind pushed the UAV, which was attempting to land on the runway, toward the helicopter, the Army explained.
Two weeks before the crash, two South Korean KF-16 fighter jets accidentally bombed a village in South Korea, injuring 38 people, mostly civilians, during a live-fire drill between South Korea and the United States. The designation KF-16 refers to F-16C/Ds that are locally assembled in South Korea.
Following the mishap, the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) announced that it was grounding almost all of its aircraft, excluding aircraft responsible for reconnaissance operations and emergency responses.
After a probe, the South Korean Air Force cited pilot error for the accident. Since then, the two pilots and two Air Force unit commanders have been booked by Defense Ministry investigators on charges of professional negligence resulting in injury.
However, the spate of accidents during military drills brought the spotlight on ‘the lack of discipline’ in the military.
Notably, the series of incidents came amid a leadership vacuum in the military that began in December last year, prompting security concerns in the country, which has to be on constant vigil due to tensions with its nuclear-armed northern neighbour, North Korea.
Former Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun and several other key unit commanders were arrested for their alleged roles in ex-President Yoon Suk Yeol’s botched martial law declaration in December 2024, creating a leadership vacuum in the military and affecting the country’s military preparedness.
“On the surface, (the series of accidents) may seem to be merely a lack of discipline within the military, but it’s more an accumulation of inadequate military training,” Yang Uk, a research fellow in military strategy and weapons systems at the Asan Institute of Policy Studies, had told the Korea Herald in April.
“It’s the result of inconsistency in military training, with the liberal Moon Jae-in administration having halted and scaled back several key drills and then the Yoon administration failing to revive the momentum of the exercises,” he said.
Accidents Involving K9 Thunders
While the K9 Thunders have been an international hit, this is not the first time the artillery gun has been in the news for being involved in a military accident.
Earlier in August 2017, during an artillery training exercise in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province, an explosion in a K9 Thunder howitzer killed three soldiers and injured four.
Following the mishap, South Korea had suspended the operation of K9s for training purposes. After a detailed investigation, the South Korean Army said that a mechanical flaw triggered the explosion.
The detonator ignited by itself, and some components functioned abnormally, the Army said after a joint investigation joined by 113 government, military officials, and civilian experts.
That accident had triggered concerns in India, which had ordered 100 K-9 Thunder Vajra systems around the same time. The deliveries for this initial order were completed by 2021. Subsequently, in April 2025, India ordered 100 additional K9 Vajra-T self-propelled howitzers for the Indian Army.
During that time, Lt Gen PR Shankar (Retd) had supported the K-9 Thunders for the Indian Army, saying that accidents during the firing of guns have been a part and parcel of a gunner’s life since time immemorial.
In a detailed article, he wrote that accidents in the firing of howitzers can happen due to three basic reasons: Faults in the ammunition, defects in the gun, and human error.
“A long-term analysis will always indicate that in 80 per cent of the cases, the root cause is defective ammunition,” he said.
“As far as ammunition is concerned, it could be due to a faulty fuze, faulty shell or propellant both from design and manufacturing points of view. The fault could also relate to over-aged ammunition, due to improper storage, or ammunition going unstable due to deterioration.”
Similarly, if guns are not properly maintained, it could lead to accidents, and the possibility of human error is always there, he suggested.
Incidentally, the Indian Army’s K9 units have performed exceptionally well both in the desert conditions where they were initially deployed and in the high-altitude mountain conditions where they were deployed following tensions with China in the Ladakh sector in June 2020.
Their exceptional performance convinced the Indian Army to place an order for 100 additional K-9 Thunders in April this year.
The Worldwide Success Of K9 Thunders
The K9 Thunder, developed by the South Korean Company Hanwha Aerospace (formerly Hanwha Land Systems), is a state-of-the-art 155mm/52-caliber tracked self-propelled howitzer. It has firmly established itself as one of the most sought-after military equipment items on the international arms market.
The K9 artillery gun consists of an armored vehicle with a 155 mm cannon that can fire shells to distances of over 40 kilometers and launch projectiles at a speed of around 65 kilometers per hour.
The K9 artillery system can carry up to 48 projectiles and fire shells in MRSI (Multiple Rounds Simultaneous Impact) mode. This mode allows it to launch three shells in under 15 seconds—one every five seconds—each following different trajectories to hit the target simultaneously.
Since its debut in 1999, the K9 has become a cornerstone of South Korea’s defense exports, making up more than half of global self-propelled howitzer orders. As of last year, over 1,400 units of the K9 have been delivered or are slated for export to various countries.
South Korea itself operates a large fleet of K9 howitzers, which are deployed along the heavily fortified demilitarized zone (DMZ) separating it from North Korea.
The K9’s ability to operate in the challenging mountainous terrain of the DMZ is a key feature, as it is equipped with an advanced hydropneumatic suspension that helps it navigate rough landscapes with ease.
The K9’s five-man crew operates in a fully enclosed environment, protected from nuclear, biological, and chemical threats, with 19mm steel armor providing defense against heavy machine-gun rounds and shrapnel.
Additionally, a .50 caliber machine gun mounted on the turret offers close defense and limited air defense capabilities.
One of Hanwha’s key advantages is its ability to assemble a K9 in approximately 180 days, two to three times faster than its competitors. Additionally, the howitzer is cost-effective, with a unit price of around US$3.5 million, making it significantly cheaper than comparable Western alternatives.
The K9 Thunder is widely adopted around the world, with deliveries either completed or in progress to countries including Australia, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, India, Norway, Poland, Romania, and Turkey.
