As the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit is set to open in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, on the 31st, police are investigating whether parts that could be used to make improvised firearms passed through customs and entered the country.
The National Office of Investigation (NOI) of the Korean National Police Agency said at a regular press briefing on the 27th that the Korea Customs Service requested an investigation. It is known that at the end of last month, the Korea Customs Service requested a police investigation, saying that "parts that could be misused to manufacture improvised firearms are being found during customs clearance procedures."
An official at the National Office of Investigation (NOI) said, "We are investigating items of concern among imported goods cleared through customs," and noted, "We are focusing on whether those items were used to make firearms and whether they went through processing stages."
Police are alert to the possibility of attempted terror attacks during APEC. They also plan to continue examining whether firearms, explosives, and live ammunition for competitive shooters have been stolen or leaked.
Starting on the 28th, police will issue a Level A emergency to the North Gyeongsang and Busan Metropolitan Police Agencies to maintain the highest level of security. When a Level A emergency is declared, all officers' leave is suspended and up to 100% of available police personnel can be mobilized. To ensure smooth management of rallies and the safe hosting of events, up to about 18,000 officers per day will also be deployed.
The APEC summit will be held in Gyeongju from the 31st to Nov. 1. Ahead of that, the APEC CEO Summit will take place in Gyeongju from the 29th to the 31st. Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, is scheduled to deliver a keynote on the 31st.
A South Korea-U.S. summit between President Lee Jae-myung and U.S. President Donald Trump will be held on the 29th. A U.S.-China summit between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping is set for the 30th, and a South Korea-China summit between President Lee and President Xi is scheduled for Nov. 1. A South Korea-Japan summit between President Lee and Japan's Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is being coordinated.