‘Japan also suffers disaster’… Police to “conduct thorough inspection of swords and revise permit renewal regulations”

Revision of Firearms and Explosives Control Law Proposed…License to be Cancelled if Deemed Dangerous, Face-to-Face Interview for New License,
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Police Agency
[Source: Yonhap News],
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, ‘ (Seoul=Yonhap News) Reporter Jang Bo-in = Following a recent murder case in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul involving a Japanese sword, the police have embarked on devising measures to prevent recurrence.’,
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, ‘ The Police Agency announced on the 1st that they will conduct an immediate full-scale inspection of bladed weapons and make institutional improvements.’,
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, ‘ Accordingly, the police will conduct a full-scale inspection of 82,641 bladed weapons covered by carry permits from that day to the 31st.’,
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, ‘ They plan to thoroughly verify the appropriateness of carry permits by comprehensively reviewing the individual’s criminal history, domestic violence record, opinions of the jurisdictional police station, and more.’,
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, ‘ If there is deemed to be a risk, the police will require submission of mental health-related documents and review the carry permit, potentially revoking it if necessary. They may also order the storage of bladed weapons at a location designated by the permitting agency.’,
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, ‘ Failure to comply with storing the bladed weapons at the designated location may result in a fine of up to 3 million won. Non-compliance could lead to imprisonment of up to 5 years or a fine of up to 10 million won.’,
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, ‘ If a criminal history is confirmed, it falls under disqualifying reasons under the Firearms and Explosives Control Law, leading to the cancellation of the carry permit.’,
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, ‘ Procedures for new carry permits for bladed weapons will also be strengthened. Eligibility will be assessed during new permit applications, and police officials will directly interview the applicants.’,
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, ‘ If a risk is identified during this process, a review committee chaired by the head of the Crime Prevention and Response Division at the police station will be convened to make a final determination on the permit approval, which may result in a denial.’,
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, ‘ Furthermore, the police will push for revisions to the Firearms and Explosives Control Law to enable stricter management of bladed weapons.’,
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, ‘ For new permits, applicants will be required to submit documents for confirming mental illness or personality disorders, and regulations for permit renewals will be established.’,
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, ‘ Unlike firearms that require a physical examination form that can confirm mental illnesses, etc., within the current law, bladed weapons do not have specific renewal regulations, leading to lax management.’,
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, ‘ The police stated, “Through the full-scale inspection of bladed weapons, we will promptly alleviate the public’s anxiety and through the revision of the Firearms and Explosives Control Law, we will swiftly eliminate blind spots in bladed weapon safety management under current legislation.”‘,
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, ‘ On the evening of the 29th, at 11:30 PM, a resident of an apartment complex in Eunpyeong-gu, Baek Mo (37), fatally attacked resident A (43) in front of the apartment complex entrance with a 75cm-long Japanese sword. A is reported to have obtained permission to carry a bladed weapon from authorities for decorative purposes back in January.’,
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, ‘ [email protected]’,
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