일제강점기 총기 규제 정책 연구

Abstract

This thesis is a review of gun control policies before and after the annexation. of Korea by Japan. Securing firearms and ammunition was essential in the armed struggle of Righteous Armies. Therefore, during this period, Righteous Armies used various methods to obtain and supply firearms and ammunition. There were several methods of securing firearms, such as requisition from the people, seizing weapons from the army or police station, smuggling from foreigners, manufacturing or modifying firearms, and so on. The weapons of them came as a great threat to the Japan trying to annex Korea. To prevent this, Japan enacted the Guns and Gunpowder Control Act and introduced strong firearms regulations in Korea. After this, an ordnance committee was established nationwide, and firearms of the korean government and civilians were confiscated. Through this process, private ownership of firearms in Korea became almost impossible. The strict gun control in korea continued even after the annexation. In 1912, the Governor-General enacted a new Guns and Gunpowder Control Act. In addition to the existing strict gun control laws, this law contained stricter regulations than previous laws, such as a strict ban on the manufacture of military firearms and gunpowder in Korea. In addition, in order to restrict the possession of firearms by Koreans, gun regulations were newly introduced only for Koreans. A typical example is the so-called ‘Internal Discipline Article 18’. The regulation contains a number of strong restrictions on gun licenses for Koreans. The first clause stipulated the types of Koreans who could obtain gun licenses, and the third clause limited the number of gun licenses. The fourth clause restricted the types of firearms that Koreans could possess. These regulations made it impossible for Koreans to own firearms except for a small number of professional hunters and verified pro-Japanese groups. In addition, even after obtaining permission for firearms, the Japanese placed them in a surveillance network and monitored them periodically. This consistent and strong gun control is a tangible example that clearly shows Japan''s intention to suppress the struggle for independence in Korea by blocking the possession of guns by Koreans.