Bomb component suspected of deadly explosion meant for export: official

By Sam Kim
SEOUL, Dec. 4 (Yonhap) -- A bomb component suspected of unexpectedly blowing up
and killing a man earlier this week had been produced for export, the chief of a
state arms development institute said Friday.

One researcher was killed and five others were injured Thursday when a shell
exploded inside a 155-millimeter gun during a performance test at a military
range north of Seoul.
The explosion took place after testers from the Agency for Defense Development
(ADD) inserted a fuse into the sixth shell they were to test-fire, according to a
preliminary investigation.
ADD chief Park Chang-kyu said in a parliamentary hearing that the fuse, already
in use at South Korean artillery bases, had been manufactured and intended for
export.
"The fuse was for export to other countries," he said, suggesting a trio of
possible reasons for the explosion, including a glitch in the fuse produced by a
South Korean manufacturer.
The Ministry of National Defense has sent a team of investigators to look into
the link between the explosion and the fuse, expecting substantive findings as
early as next week.
Park admitted that the testers, including a researcher from an associated defense
quality control organization, were not wearing the safety gear required for such
tests when the blast occurred.
"Safety regulations were not followed," he said, pledging to step up measures to
prevent a similar incident.
samkim@yna.co.kr
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