A bullet, thought to have been fired by an attack helicopter of the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division, penetrated the roof of a civilian office last Friday, raising questions about whether the military training was being conducted in due consideration of residents’ safety.

After a complaint was filed about the stray bullet in Yeongbuk in Pocheon, Gyeonggi Province, near the Rodriguez Firing Range, the U.S. division and South Korea’s 8th Division set up a probe team to look into the incident, the 2ID told The Korea Herald.

Residents and civic activists expressed strong concerns over the stray bullet.

“As far as we know, this is not the first time. Despite a series of complaints from residents, there have not been any well-thought-out measures announced (by the U.S. military),” said Park Kyung-soo, a senior member of a local activist group that monitors U.S. military crimes.

“If such security concerns are not properly addressed, the same thing could happen again. I believe that the efforts on the side of the U.S. military have not sufficiently addressed the concerns.”

The bullet, apparently from an Apache helicopter, penetrated the roof of the office at around 4 p.m., according to the local cable channel YTN. At the time, workers were wrapping up their daily duties and were shocked by the sound of the impact. Fortunately, there were no injuries.

The 2ID said that the incident is under investigation, and that details would be released after the probe is completed.

“While a unit from the 2nd Infantry Division was training nearby at the time of the alleged incident, it will take time to fully determine the origin of the round and who fired it,” said the 2ID in an email statement.

“Additionally, there is a process in place to provide reparations to any legitimate claimant following a thorough investigation.”

The cable channel pointed out that given that there were gas containers and other dangerous items inside the office, a serious accident could have occurred.

Including the Rodriguez Firing Range, there are a total of seven firing ranges in the Pocheon area where U.S. and Korean troops conduct training sessions day and night. Residents have long called for a cessation of the firing drills and demanded strong safety measures.

By Song Sang-ho (sshluck@heraldcorp.com)