South Korea's Defense Ministry found that front-line units in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 5th Army Corps had conducted guard duty with some firearms unloaded, without revised guidelines or supporting official orders. The ministry said it began inspecting front-line corps and plans to issue institutional warnings to units and higher headquarters that failed to follow instructions.
The finding indicates that the practice extended from the western front to the eastern front, according to an audit cited by lawmaker Kang Sun-young's office.