History of Firearm Ban in South Korea

• Post-Korean War (1950–1953):

  • Widespread availability of firearms due to war surplus.

  • High civilian gun violence, with frequent murders reported in the 1950s (per National Forensic Service).

  • Security threats from North Korean infiltration heightened concerns about civilian firearm access.

• 1960s:

  • Continued issues with armed violence, e.g., news reports like “Armed Violence Increases Further in October” (1965).

  • Government began recognizing the need for stricter control amid internal instability and external threats.

• 1970s – Park Chung-hee’s Military Dictatorship:

  • Enactment of the Act on the Safety Management of Guns, Swords, Explosives, etc.:

    • Centralized firearm regulation.

    • Required private firearms to be stored at police stations.

    • Mandated extensive background checks and regular permit renewals.

  • State-led gun confiscation campaigns to reduce civilian firearm ownership.

  • Policies driven by regime’s need to maintain control and prevent dissent, fearing communist uprisings.

• 1980s:

  • Significant decline in gun violence due to strict enforcement of regulations.

  • Rare incidents included:

    • 1982 Kyongsang province shooting: Policeman killed 56 people in a drunken spree, one of the deadliest global mass shootings at the time.

    • 1973 Lee Jae-su case: Soldier killed eight people, linked to military access rather than civilian ownership.

• Modern Era (1990s–Present):

  • South Korea maintains some of the world’s strictest gun laws:

    • Civilians largely prohibited from owning handguns or automatic weapons.

    • Exceptions for hunters, Olympic shooters, and security for high-profile figures.

    • Firearms must be stored at police stations, not in homes.

    • Even toy guns resembling real firearms are banned.

    • Penalties for illegal possession: up to 7 years in prison or $18,000 in fines.

  • 2016 statistics:

    • 138,751 registered private guns (27 per 10,000 people, vs. U.S.’s 8,900 per 10,000).

    • Only 105 illegal firearms confiscated at major ports/airports (2012–2016).

    • Firearms involved in 0.55% of murders and 0.02% of assaults.

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And North Korea?

If they are so too  at domestic level, they really should share as The Korean Peninsula the Nobel Price for Peace.

https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/gun-ownership-by-country?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Certainly is interesting.  thank you.