{"id":2206255,"date":"2024-08-23T17:56:43","date_gmt":"2024-08-23T08:56:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2206255"},"modified":"2024-08-26T19:44:02","modified_gmt":"2024-08-26T10:44:02","slug":"ethical-dilemma-looms-over-south-koreas-booming-tear-gas-trade","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2024\/08\/ethical-dilemma-looms-over-south-koreas-booming-tear-gas-trade\/","title":{"rendered":"Ethical dilemma looms over South Korea\u2019s booming tear gas trade"},"content":{"rendered":"
National Police Agency data obtained by <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i> through Basic Income Party lawmaker Yong Hye-in\u2019s office reveals a significant increase in South Korea\u2019s tear gas exports in recent years. However, several recipient countries face international scrutiny over their crowd control practices.<\/span><\/p>\n This surge has sparked debate about South Korea\u2019s ethical responsibilities in the global arms market and its current regulatory practices. Human rights advocates and some progressive lawmakers call for legislation to tighten controls, but industry experts warn against excessive restrictions that could impede South Korea\u2019s defense sector growth and trade.<\/span><\/p>\n The South Korean government faces a dilemma: balancing its ethical commitment to global peace against the potential economic impacts of stricter regulations on the business sector.<\/span><\/p>\n LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK<\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The National Police Agency data shows that South Korea has exported over 4.7 million canisters to 25 countries since 2019, with Iraq as the leading importer.<\/span><\/p>\n Export trends fluctuate. South Korea exported 866,000 canisters in 2019, but that figure dropped to 421,000 in 2020 due to reduced demand resulting from the pandemic. However, those numbers rebounded to 638,000 in 2022 and surged to 1.58 million in 2023. The first half of 2024 alone saw 713,000 canisters exported, indicating an upward trend.<\/span><\/p>\n Within South Korea, however, the use of tear gas to suppress protests and riots ceased in 1999 when the government warned that tear gas use posed asphyxiation risks. The <\/span>Control of Firearms Act<\/span><\/a> and the <\/span>Foreign Trade Act<\/span><\/a> classify tear gas as both an explosive and a strategic item.<\/span><\/p>\n