Man in His 40s Wields 'Japanese Sword' During YouTube Broadcast ... Caught for Unlicensed Possession

Caught After Viewer Report for "Appearing Mentally Unstable"

A man in his 40s was apprehended by the police for wielding a sword without authorization during his YouTube broadcast.

The Changnyeong Police Station in South Gyeongsang Province announced on the 13th that a man in his 40s, identified as A, was booked without detention on suspicion of possessing two swords without a permit.

According to the police, on the 8th, A streamed a broadcast on his YouTube channel where he drank alcohol alone and swung a Japanese sword.

A viewer who watched the broadcast reported to 112, saying that A appeared to be mentally unstable.

Unlicensed sword wielded during a YouTube broadcast.
Photo by Gyeongnam Police Agency

It was reported that A stated he had purchased the two swords as decorations through a secondhand trading app in 2018.

The size of each sword was found to be: blade length 59 cm, handle 28 cm, total length 87 cm; and blade length 53 cm, handle 22 cm, total length 75 cm.

According to the Act on the Safety Management of Guns, Swords, and Explosives, a permit is required to possess knives or swords with a blade length of 15 cm or longer, or even if shorter than 15 cm, if the blade is sharp enough to be used as a weapon.

Even with a permit, the item cannot be used for purposes other than those permitted.

Additionally, individuals who are mentally incapacitated, addicted to narcotics, marijuana, psychotropic drugs, or alcohol, or those with mental disorders or epilepsy as designated by Presidential Decree, are prohibited from possessing swords.

The police are currently investigating A to determine the exact circumstances of the incident.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.