By Kang Seung-woo
A Japanese man was caught stealing two bullets at a live shooting range in Myeong-dong, central Seoul, according to police, Thursday.
The ammunition was retrieved, they added.
According to the Namdaemun Police Station, the 24-year-old Japanese man, accompanied by a Chinese man, took the ammunition from the range at 1:30 p.m., Wednesday, while a staff member was reloading a handgun.
In response, after securing surveillance footage of the suspect, police searched the Myeong-dong area and caught him entering a building near Myeong-dong Station at 10:15 p.m. His Chinese companion was also detained.
The man told police he stole the bullets impulsively to use them for "decoration."
The two had no previous criminal records.
Police later released the Japanese man as the bullets were recovered and there was no perceived danger. They plan to question him further without physical detention. The Chinese man was cleared of any suspicions and released.
The shooting range is an indoor live firing range that has emerged as a hot destination among foreign tourists.
However, there have been safety issues at some ranges ― the latest of which occurred two months ago.
In September, a 36-year-old man, who worked in the film industry, committed suicide at the same shooting range with a revolver.
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