Iraq leads as major importer of South Korean tear gas amid rising protests
Iraq has emerged as the largest importer, receiving more than 1.2 million canisters in just the past year and a half.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - South Korea has exported over 4.7 million tear gas canisters to 25 countries since 2019, according to recent data from the Korean National Police Agency.
Iraq has emerged as the largest importer, receiving more than 1.2 million canisters in just the past year and a half.
The data, revealed by the Korean Herald, shows that Iraq imported 732,000 tear gas canisters from South Korea last year, with an additional 478,000 canisters imported in the first half of this year alone.
This accounts for a staggering 67 percent of South Korea’s tear gas exports during the first half of 2024, highlighting Iraq's dominant position as the top buyer.
Indonesia follows as the second-largest importer with 649,000 canisters, while the Philippines and Malawi imported 625,000 and 398,000 canisters, respectively.
The report underscores a significant surge in South Korea's tear gas exports, which jumped by 148 percent last year, totaling 1.58 million canisters. Over the 5.5-year period from 2019 through mid-2024, Iraq consistently emerged as the largest buyer.
This wave of imports into Iraq comes amid a summer of intense protests fueled by widespread dissatisfaction over power cuts, water shortages, and escalating temperatures.
Local media reports indicate that Iraqi security forces have used tear gas and live ammunition to control these protests, raising concerns about the impact on human rights.
In a broader context, South Korea's history of using tear gas during its own periods of civil unrest was marked by a ban on its use in 1999 under President Kim Dae-jung, a former dissident. The current exports, however, have sparked controversy.
Rep. Yong Hye-in of South Korea’s Basic Income Party expressed regret over the use of Korean-made tear gas to suppress human rights abroad.
She has announced plans to draft revisions to the Foreign Trade Act, aiming to impose economic sanctions and restrict tear gas exports to countries with a high risk of human rights violations.
The report also recalls the tragic incident in Indonesia in October 2022, where excessive use of tear gas by police was blamed for a deadly stampede at Kanjuruhan Stadium, resulting in 135 deaths.
This incident, among others, has fueled ongoing debates about the ethical implications of tear gas exports.
