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Police called on man 'fiddling' with toy gun ahead of presidential election

Published: 15 May. 2025, 16:22

[YONHAP]

A toy gun mistaken for a sniper rifle prompted a brief but intense police response in Gwangju on Wednesday, just weeks ahead of the June 3 presidential election.

The incident began at around 6:15 p.m. Wednesday when someone called the 112 emergency line, reporting that “a man was fiddling with a gun and then drove way” from a botanical garden in Daechon-dong, Nam District, Gwangju, according to the Gwangju Nambu Police Precinct on Thursday.

The caller reportedly expressed concern that the man “seemed to be preparing a gun to target a specific candidate ahead of the presidential election.”

In response, police dispatched more than 30 officers, including detectives and patrol officers, to the scene to prevent any potential threat.

Authorities then tracked the unidentified man’s vehicle, and about an hour later, at around 7:17 p.m., apprehended the suspect in the parking lot of an apartment complex near Hyocheon Station.

Upon inspection, police confirmed that the object was a 1.2-meter-long (47-inch) recreational gun, commonly used in leisure activities such as airsoft or paintball.

The man reportedly told police he “had taken the toy gun out to clean and maintain it.”

“Given the election season and heightened concerns over potential political violence, we responded with full force,” a police official said. “Even if it is a replica or toy firearm, individuals should handle such items responsibly to avoid misunderstandings.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY KIM EUN-BIN [[email protected]]