No more tear gas

Riot police use tear gas against demonstrators. Police are scrapping stocks of the gas. / Yonhap

By Oh Young-jin

Korean police are discarding their stocks of tear gas canisters, except for a small amount.

Tear gas was the main tool riot police used to put down demonstrations in the 1970s and 1980s when generals-turned-strongmen were in power.

The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency, which is responsible for the southern parts of the province, has scrapped 35,000 canisters stored with riot police units and 30 police stations. The 10 smaller precincts had all their stocks scrapped.

It came after the National Police Agency's instruction that tear gas should be eliminated promptly. The agency said the instruction confirmed the police pledge not to use it.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency plans to scrap its stocks by September.

Police stopped using tear gas after firing over 3,000 canisters in 1998 but kept stockpiles.

Police have resorted to water cannon to keep violent demonstrators at bay.