Police Agency Cancels Possession Permits for 13,661 Swords and Knives Due to Loss, Criminal Records, and Mental Illness

Scheduled Disposal of 6,305 Vessels by the End of This Year

The National Police Agency announced on the 6th that it conducted a full inspection of 82,641 blades and swords, canceling possession permits for 13,661 of them.

The main reason for the cancellation of possession permits was loss or theft, accounting for 47.2%. Efforts were made to eliminate potential risk factors such as criminal records (2.6%) and mental illness (0.4%). When a risk was deemed present, explanations of disqualification reasons and active persuasion were provided to the individuals, resulting in the cancellation of possession permits and the retrieval of the blades and swords.

Excluding those lost or stolen, 6,305 blades and swords with canceled possession permits were retrieved, and a mass disposal is planned by the end of this year. For 9,217 blades and swords (11.2%) whose owners could not be contacted, possession permit cancellation procedures will proceed after public notification of storage orders.

Cho Ji-ho, Commissioner of the National Police Agency, stated, “This full inspection of possession permits for blades and swords is part of prevention-focused police activities. Through effective inspections and crackdowns, we aim to quickly alleviate public anxiety and promptly eliminate safety blind spots related to blades and swords through amendments to the Firearms and Ammunition Control Act.”