A soldier in his 20s was shot dead during a regular shooting exercise at an Army base in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, the Army said Monday, calling the incident an accident.

The private first class, whose name was withheld, was shot by an assault rifle in the head and was in a state of cardiac arrest when first responders arrived at the scene. He died after he was taken to a nearby civilian hospital.

“We will closely work with civilian police and offer whatever help necessary to the investigation. We will probe the incident ourselves as well,” the Army said in a statement, expressing condolences for the victim and his family.

The family will receive support from the military, the statement added, without elaborating on what the assistance would entail.

All able-bodied South Korean men are drafted for up to 22 months for mandatory military service, a practice that has long been in place to boost the country’s readiness against North Korea.