Police tape sealed off the suspect’s apartment in Dobong, Seoul, on July 21 after the authorities found and safely removed a makeshift explosive. - Photo: The Korea Herald/ANN
SEOUL: A deadly domestic shooting in Songdo, Incheon, has reignited alarm in South Korea over the lack of regulation on homemade firearms and the ease of access to online content that teaches users how to build them.
On Sunday (July 20), a 63-year-old man was arrested on charges of murder after allegedly shooting his son with a homemade shotgun filled with metal pellets at their residence in Songdo, Incheon.
The victim, a 33-year-old man, was rushed to the hospital but did not survive his injuries.
Police officials at Incheon Yeonsu Police Station later told the press that, during questioning, the suspect said he had learned how to make the gun by watching tutorial videos on YouTube.
He cited ongoing family conflicts as the motive for the crime.
Searching the suspect’s vehicle, the police discovered nine gun barrels and additional raw materials needed to assemble guns, such as metal pipes, at his home.
While searching his car and residence, police seized a total of 15 guns and explosive devices that he had made.
After news of the suspect's confession, concerns have grown in Korea over how easy it is to access information on making weapons.
A simple online search of keywords such as “DIY gun” or “homemade pistol” on platforms such as YouTube showed numerous videos demonstrating how to make guns with materials such as steel pipes, metal rods and even cardboard.
On social platform X, posts offering instructions on how to manufacture a gun using a 3D printer or sharing links to websites offering such services were also easily accessible.
Under Korean law, the possession, manufacture or distribution of firearms is prohibited without police authorization.
Legal use is limited to specific purposes such as licensed hunting or military-related manufacturing.
Violations of this law are punishable by three to 15 years in prison or fines ranging from 30 million won to 100 million won (US$22,000 to US$72,000).
But while it is illegal to make a homemade gun, it is incredibly difficult to detect. Preventing them is also difficult — especially when tutorials on how to assemble such firearms are posted to online platforms by users outside Korea.
According to the Korean National Police Agency, no illicit homemade firearms were confiscated in the last five years, from 2020 to 2024.
Yet, four cases involving such weapons — two in 2023 and one each in 2022 and 2021 — were reported in the same period.
Experts are calling for tighter controls on such homemade firearms to ensure the making of unregistered firearms is controlled to some degree.
“The government needs to take stronger action toward content posted online that provides instructions on how to assemble homemade guns,” professor Kwack Dae-gyung from Dongguk University’s Department of Police Administration told The Korea Herald.
“Authorities must ramp up surveillance of such content and take appropriate actions against it, (to prevent it) from being distributed further online, such as permanently deleting similar content.”
Experts also note that even with stricter content controls, enforcement alone may not be enough to prevent similar incidents, given the accessibility of the everyday materials used in such weapons.
“Since the firearm used in the recent Songdo shooting incident was made using parts that are commonly used (for everyday purposes), it seems difficult to establish countermeasures against the distribution of such materials,” professor Lee Keon-su from Baekseok University’s Department of Police Administration added to The Korea Herald.
“Nevertheless, to prevent similar crimes, a reporting system should be established that allows people to report and provide tips to authorities when similar purchasing patterns that indicate possible danger are visible.” - The Korea Herald/ANN
