Kia Motors, the nation’s second-largest carmaker, temporarily stopped operations at its U.S. plant in Georgia after a shooting incident occurred at the factory on Tuesday afternoon.

According to U.S. reports, an employee at the plant shot his coworker around 2 p.m. The shooting victim was flown by helicopter to a hospital in nearby Columbus for treatment.

The company could not confirm the extent of the victim’s injuries.

The suspect was arrested by the carmaker’s security officials at the site, but the motive for the attack was not revealed.

The plant halted operations just after the shooting. The operations were to resume after the police completed their investigation, company officials at the site said.

“The Seoul headquarters are working hard on finding out the details of its first gun-related case at an overseas plant,” a company spokesperson said.

“We are going to take proper measures against the case and find preventive solutions.”

The company is carrying out an internal investigation on the matter, as Kia’s Georgia plant has banned employees at the site from carrying guns.

Georgia is famous for its lenient gun control. Last year, the state launched new gun rules, allowing residents to carry firearms almost anywhere, including classrooms and government buildings.

Kia opened its first U.S. manufacturing plant in West Point, Georgia, about 130 kilometers southwest of Atlanta, in 2009.

The plant employs 3,000 workers and has produced more than 1 million vehicles since its opening.

By Seo Jee-yeon (jyseo@heraldcorp.com)