Water gun injury at summer fest sends organizers to prosecution

Four face potential charges after band vocalist left with facial scars at Ansan summer festival

A performer’s face is left visibly injured after being struck by a water gun during a performance at the Ansan Summer Festa 2025 Water Festival Yeoreumio on Aug. 15 last year. The performer said he is still receiving treatment for scars. (Yonhap)

Four officials responsible for organizing a water festival in Ansan, Gyeonggi Province, last summer have been sent to prosecutors after a performer was injured by a water gun on stage, police said Tuesday.

According to Ansan Danwon Police Station, the suspects are two employees of the city-run Ansan Cultural Foundation and two staff members from a private contractor hired for the event. The police accuse them of professional negligence resulting in injury.

The accident occurred on Aug. 15 last year during a university band's performance on a stage set up at the Ansan Culture Square as part of “Ansan Summer Festa 2025 Water Festival Yeoreumio.” The festival featured student bands from the Seoul Institute of the Arts and Shin Ansan University.

While the band’s male vocalist was singing, a staff member placed a water gun on the stage, which was then picked up by a nearby bandmate who sprayed water toward the audience and then toward the vocalist on stage.

Video footage shows the victim being hit by a water gun during the performance. (Online communities)

The vocalist immediately left the stage and was taken to the emergency room at Korea University Ansan Hospital for treatment.

He reportedly suffered abrasions measuring about 10 centimeters on the back of his left hand and 40 to 50 cm on the left side of his face, as well as a 2.5-3 cm tear behind his ear.

Currently, he is undergoing outpatient dermatological treatment for scars on his face and hand, which doctors said are likely to be permanent. He plans to take a semester off to focus on his recovery.

Police launched an investigation into the accident in October, following a criminal complaint filed by the victim.

“According to officials in the concert and events industry, the water gun involved in the accident poses safety risks and would not normally be used in stage performances. The performers were handed the water gun without any instructions on how to use it and were therefore unaware of its potential danger," the complaint reads.

For its part, the foundation said, “We immediately took the victim to a nearby hospital for treatment. The victim’s side refused insurance compensation and pursued legal action against us, which has complicated the situation," in an interview with a local news outlet.

After reviewing the suitability of the water gun involved and whether the event’s safety system functioned properly, police concluded that “the foundation failed to fulfill its duty to ensure safety, including providing equipment without prior consultation, and with insufficient safety training.”

The band member who fired the water gun at the victim was not indicted, as investigators determined that he had been suddenly handed the device by staff at the scene and therefore could not reasonably have predicted the risk.