Police in standoff with armed man for two days

By 박세진 Posted : July 5, 2017, 17:00 Updated : July 5, 2017, 17:13

Police block road traffic to a tunnel in their armed standoff with a gunman. [Yonhap Photo]


Police were locked in a rare armed standoff with a 41-year-old man who wielded a hunting rifle in a truck parked inside a road tunnel and took his primary school son as a hostage after wrangling with his ex-wife.

The two-day standoff in Hapcheon, 239 kilometers southeast of Seoul, began Tuesday when the man collected his hunting rifle from a police station after texting his ex-wife that he would die with his son. Fortunately, the son was released unhurt later. 

"It is lucky the standoff took place far away from residential areas," a police officer said. "We will do our best to end this situation as quickly as possible."

Holing up in the tunnel, which was sealed off by more than 200 policemen, the man demanded his ex-wife should be brought there.  Because he was in a very agitated state, police were careful. The gunman accepted cigarettes but refused to take all water and food while police promised to keep persuading him. 

Possession of firearms is banned in South Korea with only licensed huntsmen are allowed to keep their arms at designated police stations. The gunman was able to retrieve his rifle because he was a vermin control team member.

Park Sae-jin = swatchsjp@ajunews.com
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