April 1, 2010: The South Korean military has designed a 9mm pistol that shoots around corners. It is based on the Israeli "Corner Gun" weapon. South Korea spent $307,000 developing its new K-5 pistol. The original Israeli version, is basically a pistol accessory that enables the user to see, and fire, a pistol around corners. The Corner Gun looks like a boxy assault rifle. But in the center of the weapon can turn right or left, and the front part of the weapon can hold a pistol (Glocks are favored, but others can be accommodated). The front part also contained a video cam. The rear part of the weapon has a viewer for the videocam and a trigger, which activates a trigger mechanism in front part that fires the pistol.

Firing 9mm or larger bullets, the sighting system is pretty accurate at ranges under a hundred meters, which is the normal range of urban combat. The weapon can fire a pistol fitted with a silencer. The videocam can be replaced with a night vision system and laser sights. This system is only being sold to governments for police or military operations. The Israeli army tried out the system in urban combat situations, but Chinese and Indian special police squads have been the major customers. South Korea also bought some. Iran and Pakistan have also developed very similar weapons.

Obviously, the weapon is also useful for just looking around a corner to see if the coast is clear, and that would probably be its most frequent use in combat. The basic Corner Shot costs $5,000 and up, and the K-5 is expected to be a little cheaper. Corner Gun type weapons are not high tech and could be assembled using off the shelf parts and the use of a machine shop.