Firearm confiscations increase 170-fold over 5-year period

[SHUTTERSTOCK]

The number of firearm confiscations by customs authorities skyrocketed more than 170 times this year from five years ago due to an illegal influx of powder-actuated nail guns, a customs report showed Monday.

According to the Korea Customs Service report, the customs office confiscated 3,236 firearms in the first nine months of the year, up sharply from 19 confiscation cases in 2017.

Of those confiscated this year, over 99 percent were gun powder-actuated nail guns, a construction tool powered by a small chemical propellant charge, similar to that of a firearm.

Gun possession is illegal in Korea, except for licensed sporting and hunting rifles, which must be stored at police stations. Importing or possessing powder-actuated nail guns is also subject to police permission.

Customs authorities couldn't determine the exact cause of the recent influx of such nail guns, but Bae put the blame on increased online shopping on overseas websites.

The report also showed customs officials confiscated "menacing" goods on 13,195 occasions in the 2017 to 2021 period, including 154 gun confiscations and 130 live ammunition confiscations.

During the four-year period until 2020, the number of gun confiscations stayed below 20 annually, but the figure shot up to 86 in 2021.

Yonhap