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Air rifle, live rounds recovered in abandoned Guro factory

Published: 11 Aug. 2025, 15:42

The police emblem [YONHAP]

Police have launched an investigation after an air rifle and dozens of live rounds were discovered in an abandoned factory in Guro District, western Seoul.

The Guro Police Precinct said Monday that officers recovered an air rifle, more than 10 air rifle rounds and some 50 live cartridges from a deserted factory inside the Guro Industrial Complex on Saturday afternoon.

Police believe the firearms belong to a man who rents the property and are conducting a preliminary investigation into him for suspected violations of the Act on the Safety Management of Guns, Swords and Explosives.

The man has not responded to police contact attempts and was not found at his residence, prompting a search for his whereabouts.

The recovered items have been sent to the Korean National Police Agency for analysis to determine details such as their year of manufacture. The live rounds have been sent to the military for examination.

Under current law, all firearms, including air rifles, must be stored in a police station armory. Owners can only check out their weapons with police permission for specific purposes such as hunting wild animals.

Police suspect the tenant illegally possessed the firearm without going through the proper procedures. However, as ownership records were previously kept by hand, they are checking whether the man’s name appears in any handwritten registries.

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 staff.
BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]