The police announced on the 14th that they have deployed observation equipment for sniper rifles at the campaign sites of presidential candidates in preparation for the possibility of a candidate being attacked. The Democratic Party of Korea claimed that a sniper rifle with a range of 2 km was smuggled into the country to threaten Lee Jae-myung, the candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, leading to heightened security measures.
The Korean National Police Agency is reported to have introduced about 10 units of observation equipment for snipers, costing up to 50 million won each, for the security of presidential candidates. They also introduced high-priced security telescopes.
Additionally, the police are deploying special police squads at the campaign sites of candidates from each party to conduct safety inspections using bomb detection dogs. In case of emergencies, bomb disposal teams are also being dispatched to the scene.
The police are concentrating officers around nearby buildings, rooftops, and major routes. Special equipment such as radio detectors and jamming guns, which can be used in terrorism, is also being operated. Further deployment of dedicated security personnel is underway.
A representative of the Korean National Police Agency noted, "We are continuously responding to the ongoing concerns about the possibility of terrorism targeting presidential candidates," and added, "All functions of the responsible police station, including relieving congestion around the campaign site, maintaining order, managing traffic safety, and promptly apprehending illegal actors, are in full response mode."
Earlier, Jin Sung-jun, the policy chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea, appeared on CBS Radio the previous day and stated that, "We have received reports that a sniper rifle, which has a range of up to 2 km, has been smuggled in," adding, "It is indeed a sniper rifle used by professional killers."
Since March, the police have been protecting the candidates at the request of the Democratic Party of Korea. Spokesperson Hwang Jeong-a of the Democratic Party of Korea said during a briefing at the time, "We are receiving many reports through lawmakers, including texts that there are plans to assassinate using smuggled Russian pistols."
However, the police stated on the 12th that they have not received any reports or confirmed facts related to the "gun smuggling theory" targeting this candidate. The representative stated that regarding the claims of gun smuggling raised by the Democratic Party of Korea, "We might need to conduct a legal review on that part."