Bullets are ricocheting right in front of my eyes. My thigh was hit, too. I feel like the eyes really must not get hit… I think we should at least wear goggles, but there's no guidance.
At about 8 p.m. on the 13th, at A shooting experience center in Yeoksam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul, a person surnamed Maeng (54) said this. In a space of roughly 30 pyeong, the popping sound kept echoing as BB pellets ricocheted in all directions. Although a total of 20 customers visited during the one-hour period, no one wore safety gear, including goggles.
A shooting experience center is staffed daily by a single part-time worker. Despite a notice on the wall that says "Goggles must be worn while shooting," the employee only explained the kiosk payment method and how to shoot to customers. Only after being asked whether there was any safety gear did the worker provide goggles.
Recently, shooting experience centers that use BB pellets (airsoft guns) have gained popularity in major entertainment districts in Seoul. But many of these centers were operating without basic safety measures in place.
B shooting experience center in Jongno-gu set up an office-like space as a shooting range and operated as an unmanned center on a 24-hour reservation basis. On the reservation website, there were no safety notices such as wearing goggles or prohibiting shooting at people, and the structure allowed firearms to be moved and fired freely. C shooting experience center in Seocho-gu likewise had no device to fix the firearm in place. That means it is possible to aim at people at any time.
People working at shooting experience centers did not necessarily have knowledge related to airsoft guns. Part-time workers at the centers said, "We have fired guns during military service, but we have not received separate training."
The biggest reason is that there are no separate safety standards for shooting experience centers. In the case of shooting ranges that use live ammunition, regulations are thorough from installation onward under the Shooting Range Safety Act.
Shooting practice ranges restrict use by those under age 14, people who are intoxicated, and those who are mentally incapacitated, and an ID card is required. While shooting, the muzzle must be pointed toward the air or the target, and users must follow the safety officer's instructions. Range managers must install closed-circuit (CC) TV and have at least two employees on duty.
By contrast, the reporting standards for businesses using airsoft guns as shooting experience centers are unclear from the outset. If they at least report as "sports services" or "sports and leisure-related services," they receive facility and safety standard reviews from local governments and undergo regular inspections.
However, many shooting practice ranges sold shooting supplies online, and while also operating shooting experience centers, they registered as e-commerce businesses or operated without any particular filing.
Experts said that even BB guns carry sufficient risk of injury and safety standards should be established. Lee Ung-hyuk, a professor in the Department of Police Studies at Konkuk University, said, "If a BB pellet hits the eye, it can be fatal," and noted, "There is a possibility of pellets ricocheting out of the range, and due to poor aim they could be pointed at others, so a basic safe environment must be in place."