Recent incidents at Incheon International Airport underline how easily prohibited items can slip into luggage. For travelers, the story offers a clear lesson: always verify what you pack before heading to security.

The Incheon International Airport Police Unit said the items turned up at around 6:25 p.m. on Tuesday during security screening in the transfer area of Terminal 2. The police unit reported that a 40‑something U.S. national had 19 live 9mm rounds in a bag.

After a joint investigation with military authorities, police said they found no sign of a terror threat, confiscated the rounds and the magazine, and allowed the passenger to continue to Shanghai the same day. The case was then closed, according to a police official.

The passenger told police the bag was normally used for sport shooting and that the rounds had been packed unknowingly. Screeners at the same terminal also found a .38‑caliber handgun and 16 live rounds in the checked baggage of an American woman on Sept 15, and Newsis reported she was unaware of the items.

Incheon International Airport Corp. data released in September by Democratic Party lawmaker Moon Jeong‑bok showed that live ammunition accounted for 957 of the 1,473 security‑threat items detected at Incheon from 2023 to 2025. The figures reinforce that even a small oversight can cause major delays, so double‑checking your luggage is essential.