A gunshot killing in Sejong City reveals gun control problems

The gunshot killing of people with a rifle in Sejong City on Wednesday has drawn public attention on the control of firearms in Korea. According to police, 163,664 guns are licensed by police in Korea. There are as many as 37,424 hunting rifles like the one used by the 50-year-old gunman only identified by his surname Kang in Sejong City.

Hunting rifles must be stored in police stations and patrol divisions when they are not in use. As air rifles -- 96,295 air rifles are registered – are less risky, individuals can store them at home except for key parts such as bolt carriers.

Kang was able to obtain the hunting rifle because hunting is allowed in February. Police designated a hunting period from Nov. 20, 2014 to Feb. 28, 2015, and has permitted guns from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. to those who has a hunting license and a capturing approval from the head of a local government.

However, it is hard to control the rifles once individuals take them out. For such reason, rifle accidents often occur in winter. A 69-year-old man killed two ex-partners with a hunting rifle in Paju, Gyeonggi Province in 2011, and a 34-year-old man killed two former colleagues with a hunting rifle in Seosan, South Chungcheong Province in 2012. Both cases happened also in February.