For the last fifty years 100,000′s of M1 Garands and M1 Carbines have been sitting in Korean warehouses, many of which will now be sold to US collectors. AFP reports:

Washington has approved South Korea’s plan to sell about 86,000 M1 and 22,000 carbines together valued at 130 billion won (108 million dollars), the ministry said.

The rifles used during the Korean and Vietnam wars have been kept at military warehouses, it said.

“The US government recently approved our plan to sell old M1 and carbine rifles, which were given to our soldiers as part of a US aid programme,” a ministry spokesman told AFP.

The rifles are occasionally used by reserve forces for drills, he said without giving details.

The military will dispose of all its M1s but will keep about 640,000 carbines for reserve forces, the Chosun Ilbo newspaper said.

That means 640,000 more are patiently waiting in cosmoline to be shipped over stateside 🙂

Many thanks to REMOV for the link.