President Yoon's Ordered 'One Person One Gun' Budget 2.5 Billion Won Cut, All Funding for Electronic Shock Devices Eliminated

National Assembly Public Administration Committee Subcommittee Cuts 2.5 Billion Won
Electric Shock Devices and Patrol Car Fuel Costs Also Slashed One After Another

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Sehee] It has been confirmed that the budget for ‘one gun per person,’ which was an instruction from President Yoon Seok-yeol, was significantly cut by the National Assembly. The entire budget for electronic stun guns, which can be used to subdue an opponent in emergency situations, was also completely cut.

On the 30th, according to a comprehensive report by Asia Economy, the budget for one gun per person was cut by 2.506 billion KRW at a recent subcommittee meeting of the National Assembly’s Public Administration and Security Committee.

This accounts for about 65% of the total 3.856 billion KRW. Considering that the unit price of a pistol in the 2023 budget is 780,000 KRW, this means that more than 3,200 pistols can no longer be purchased.

The Democratic Party pointed out that the .38 caliber revolver has high lethality, raising concerns about excessive force, human rights violations, and the possibility of lawsuits, thus limiting its effectiveness. The Public Administration and Security Committee’s expert office also raised issues regarding human rights violations and the possibility of lawsuits, concluding that there is no urgency to expand the budget.

A Police Agency official explained, "Although it happens only a few times a year, there are cases where the .38 pistol must be used," adding, "There are moments when active-duty police officers need to use the .38 pistol to protect the lives of the public and themselves."

Several police officials also argue that cutting the police pistol budget is akin to not providing fire extinguishers to firefighters.

Earlier, after President Yoon visited the Sinchon Police Substation in Seoul last July and instructed to consider one gun per person as a measure against violent criminals, the police prepared a budget significantly higher than this year’s budget of 150 million KRW. With more than half of the originally allocated budget cut, there are concerns that the implementation of the president’s directive will face setbacks.

The entire 2.555 billion KRW budget for electronic stun guns used to subdue opponents was cut. The reason given is that despite being developed in 2019, it has not been commercialized due to a defect rate of nearly 90%.

Both the People Power Party and the Democratic Party emphasized during the budget review that the safety of electronic stun guns must be proven first. Additionally, it was confirmed that the police vehicle fuel budget was reduced by 1.3 billion KRW, which is interpreted as reflecting fluctuations in fuel prices.

On the ground, doubts about the effectiveness of deploying .38 pistols remain. A team leader working at a police substation in the Seoul area said, "Rather than focusing on deploying the .38 pistols, it would be better to clarify the responsibilities," adding, "Since all responsibility lies with frontline officers, it is structurally difficult to use them even in truly urgent situations."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.