The Police Chief's Confidence in the 'Korean-Style Electronic Shock Device'... Distribution Countdown Begins

The police will urgently distribute the 'Korean-style electronic stun gun' developed to strengthen on-site response capabilities to frontline police stations this year.

The National Police Agency announced on the 2nd that it plans to deliver and distribute 2,755 Korean-style electronic stun guns, which began purchasing last year, to the field this year. The Korean-style electronic stun gun is an advanced device that complements the shortcomings of the previously used American Taser gun. A key feature is the improvement from single-shot firing, considered the biggest drawback of the Taser gun, to triple-shot firing. The Taser gun required reloading after one shot, which was inconvenient. The Korean-style electronic stun gun also increased the aiming points to two to improve accuracy, and it is lightweight and compact for easy carrying. Another distinguishing feature from the Taser gun is that the usage location and time are recorded.

Korean-style Electronic Shock Device

Previously, the police began developing the Korean-style electronic stun gun in 2016 with a total project cost of 1.35 billion won. After passing safety inspections in 2018, a report was submitted to the National Assembly in September of the same year. Following criticism over poor response to a stabbing incident in Incheon in 2021, the police decided to gradually introduce this equipment to strengthen on-site response capabilities. From January to June last year, a pilot operation was conducted targeting 100 local police officers in four metropolitan police agencies: Seoul, Southern Gyeonggi, Incheon, and Northern Gyeonggi. Before distributing it to the field this year, the police plan to conduct pre-training to enhance practical response capabilities, including live drills and video education.

The Korean-style electronic stun gun, which was first introduced to the public at the International Security Industry Exhibition held in Songdo, Incheon last year, underwent comprehensive performance and function inspections in December of the same year by certified institutions such as the Firearms and Explosives Association and the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials. Yoon Hee-geun, Commissioner of the National Police Agency, indirectly assured the performance and safety during a National Assembly budget review by responding to questions about the Korean-style electronic stun gun, saying, "The manager and section chief responsible for development personally tested it."