The police are considering banning the release of firearms on the day of the impeachment judgment of President Yoon Seok-yeol.
President Yoon Suk-yeol clenched his fist in front of Seoul Detention Center in Uiwang-si, Gyeonggi-do on the 8th. Photo by Yonhap News
According to the National Police Agency on the 11th, after the date of the impeachment judgment is set, they are considering issuing guidelines to police agencies in cities and provinces nationwide to prohibit the release of firearms used for pest control. This plan aims to preemptively block the possibility of terrorism by forces dissatisfied with the Constitutional Court's ruling.
Under current law, if permission for firearm ownership and pest capture is obtained from the competent police station and local government, the firearms must be stored at the police station. Even outside the hunting season (November to February of the following year), firearms can be taken out for the purpose of driving away wild boars or birds that damage crops.
As of last year, the number of firearms owned by individuals and corporations with police permission was 106,678, of which about 50,000 were stored at police stations.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency is also considering tracking the real-time location of firearm owners, such as hunting shotguns and air guns, through their mobile phone location information system (GPS) on the day of the judgment.
Previously, during the impeachment judgment of former President Park Geun-hye in 2017, the police also completely banned the release of firearms used for pest control.
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