Police Could Ban Release of Firearms on Day of Yoon’s Impeachment Ruling

Police are stationed at the Constitutional Court in Seoul’s Jongno Ward on March 10, 2025. (Image courtesy of Yonhap) SEOUL, March 11 (Korea Bizwire) — Police are reviewing whether to ban the release of firearms on the day of President Yoon Suk Yeol’s impeachment ruling over concerns about their use in a terrorist attack, officials said Tuesday. The National Police Agency is looking into instructing police stations nationwide to prohibit the discharge of guns used for the purpose of killing dangerous wild animals.

By law, those who have received permission to own a firearm and to capture dangerous wild animals must keep the weapon at a police station, but it can be taken out for the purpose of chasing away boars or birds, even after the usual hunting season ends in February. Police are also considering tracking down the location of gun owners in real-time via cellphone GPS on the day of the ruling, and reinspecting the purpose of firearm usage of those who have received permission to own one in the past two months. In 2017, police banned the release of firearms for killing wild animals on the day of the impeachment ruling of then President Park Geun-hye.



A total of 106,678 firearms were owned by individuals and entities as of last year. (Yonhap).