With Just Blueprints, 3D Printers Rapidly Produce Gun Parts... The Onslaught of 'Yureong Guns' [Im Juhyung's Tech Talk]

US President Joe Biden Announces Ghost Gun Regulation Law
Ghost Guns Assembled from Separately Purchased Gun Parts
Avoid Government Surveillance and Regulation
Virtually Untraceable When Made with 3D Printers
Smuggling Attempts Even in South Korea with Gun Possession Restrictions

'Ghost Guns' Seized by San Francisco Police, California, USA / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] 'Ghost guns,' firearms assembled directly by users from 3D-printed parts, have emerged as a new headache for the international community. Since firearms can be made at ordinary households with just blueprints and materials, concerns are rising that this issue will affect not only countries where civilian gun ownership is relatively free but also South Korea, where gun possession is strictly regulated.

The U.S. government officially mentioned ghost guns for the first time on the 11th (local time). On that day, President Joe Biden, in a national address, stated, "Our country must become safer," and urged the need for ghost gun regulation, saying, "Law enforcement is sounding the alarm. Our communities are paying the price."

The gun regulation rules for ghost guns released by the U.S. Department of Justice on the same day require serial numbers to be assigned not only to finished firearms but also to all firearm parts and assembly kits. Additionally, the sale of firearm parts will be treated like finished firearms, requiring licensed dealers to verify the buyer's identity before selling.

Ghost guns is a neologism combining the English words "ghost" and "gun," referring to firearms without serial numbers made from assembly kits sold online. Since users can purchase only firearm parts through e-commerce and assemble them themselves, they can effectively evade government firearm regulations.

The bigger problem lies in firearms with parts 'printed' by 3D printers. 3D printers can spray metal materials three-dimensionally to create specific objects, and recently, this technology has been used for firearm production.

A firearm assembled by combining parts printed with a 3D printer. / Photo by Internet homepage capture

Anyone can mass-produce firearm parts by downloading blueprints and inputting them into a printer, and even introducing serial numbers on commercial parts cannot catch these firearms. There is also a risk that civilians might secretly manufacture lethal weapons with massive firepower.

Until a few years ago, firearms assembled using 3D printers were difficult to function properly due to poor quality and durability issues. It is still impossible to produce fully finished firearms with 3D printers. However, with repeated technological advancements, improved printers have emerged that can reliably mass-produce some critical parts, and the remaining parts can be purchased externally and assembled, enabling anyone to make firearms.

There was even an incident where a minor was seriously injured while playing with a ghost gun assembled using a 3D printer. In October last year, a 16-year-old boy in Virginia accidentally shot his own leg while assembling homemade pistol parts.

The boy secretly purchased an inexpensive 3D printer without his parents' knowledge, printed the lower part of the firearm with the printer, and combined it with the upper part bought through e-commerce to complete the firearm. During this process, the parents were unaware that their son had purchased a 3D printer or that it could be used to make firearms.

A video by a foreign YouTuber firing a ghost gun assembled from 3D printer parts. The performance of the ghost gun is known to be similar to that of a real firearm. / Photo by YouTube video capture

Meanwhile, in 2019, in Los Angeles, California, a teenager without a firearm license made a homemade gun and killed two fellow students.

Ghost guns are problematic because even minors who cannot obtain firearm licenses can easily possess guns, and they can produce military-grade semi-automatic rifles and other weapons with excessive firepower for civilian ownership.

Ghost guns can cause social problems not only in countries where civilian gun ownership is free but also in countries like South Korea, where firearm possession is strictly restricted and controlled.

There have already been attempts to smuggle ghost guns into South Korea. On July 23 last year, the Incheon International Airport Police announced that they had applied for an arrest warrant for a man in his 40s, identified as Mr. A, on charges of violating laws related to firearms, swords, and explosives.

According to the police, Mr. A is suspected of purchasing various firearm parts from overseas online sites dozens of times from early 2020 to March of the following year and smuggling them in to manufacture firearms. He made 12 firearms, including seven pistols and five rifles, from the smuggled parts. The National Forensic Service analyzed their performance and found that these homemade firearms had performance similar to that of regular firearms.

Some voices call for controlling the spread of 3D-printed firearms before it becomes uncontrollably serious. Ellen Rosenblum, Attorney General of Oregon, wrote in a local media article on the 6th, warning, "If people can easily and cheaply buy firearm parts or download blueprints online, anyone can create lethal weapons without trace," adding, "3D-printed guns can even bypass detection devices like metal detectors."

She emphasized, "These firearm parts are still largely unregulated," and "We must close the legal and regulatory 'loopholes' before they become uncontrollable."