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Police investigate grad student over possible gun possession

Published: 28 Oct. 2025, 18:21 Updated: 29 Oct. 2025, 15:59

Police officers conduct a rehearsal for the motorcade route to the dinner venue in front of the Hwabaek International Convention Center in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, on Oct. 27, the first day of the 2025 APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting week. [NEWS1]

The discovery of possibly functional homemade guns has police on high alert as the leaders of nations and businesses flock to Korea for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit.

The Chungbuk Provincial Police Agency is investigating a graduate student at an unnamed university after receiving a tip about homemade firearms allegedly produced using foreign components.

The National Police Agency’s National Office of Investigation said Monday that it received a request from the Korea Customs Service at the end of September to investigate parts passing through that could be used to make firearms.

The graduate student is reported to have imported a large quantity of parts purchased from overseas online sites without declaring them, and was included in the Customs Service’s request for investigation.

Police reportedly discovered what appeared to be complete homemade rifles and handguns at the student's residence. Preliminary police inquiries indicate the weapons are replicas that closely resemble real guns. Authorities have asked the National Forensic Service to test the performance to determine if they are functional.

The student is currently overseas. Police said they will summon the individual for questioning about the reasons for making the recovered pieces of evidence and the exact circumstances once they return to the country.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]