Post on Korean National Police Agency's internal network raises question of restoring police powers

Police officers stand guard at the entrance to the handball arena at Olympic Park in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on Tuesday, as a protest demanding a re-election — sparked by a ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections — continues to blockade the Jamsil vote-counting center. [Yonhap]
Police officers stand guard at the entrance to the handball arena at Olympic Park in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on Tuesday, as a protest demanding a re-election — sparked by a ballot shortage during the June 3 local elections — continues to blockade the Jamsil vote-counting center. [Yonhap]

A serving police officer who was mocked and verbally abused by protesters at the Jamsil vote-counting center blockade has posted a real-name message on the Korean National Police Agency's internal network, saying it is time to consider restoring police authority.

The post, titled "Where Has Police Authority Gone?", appeared Tuesday on the agency's internal network, according to Newsis.

Citizens rally outside the vote-counting center at Olympic Park's handball arena in Songpa-gu, Seoul, demanding a re-election. [Newsis]
Citizens rally outside the vote-counting center at Olympic Park's handball arena in Songpa-gu, Seoul, demanding a re-election. [Newsis]

The author is Inspector Kim, head of the security division of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's 2nd Riot Unit, who was surrounded by protesters at the Jamsil demonstration on June 5. Video of the incident — in which he was taunted with remarks such as "Try calling for backup" and "Are you being left out?" — spread online alongside false claims that he was a "Chinese public security officer" or a "Temu cop."

In the post, written under his real name, Inspector Kim said each riot unit member "is also a person," adding, "When faced with deliberate provocation, taunting and verbal abuse, it is hard to keep one's emotions in check."

He said he had been unable to protect the officers who "endured far more chants and ridicule at even closer range," and expressed respect for "everyone quietly holding the line at the vote-counting center even now."

On the Jamsil protest itself, he said it had likely been "a highly successful rally for participants" — noting that it had avoided the serious missteps of the Seobu District Court incident, remained unregistered yet free of major violence or disorder, appeared outwardly orderly, and had so far faced almost no intervention from authorities.

He added that "the small-scale illegal acts and misconduct occurring throughout this process are going largely uncorrected."

The remarks appeared to refer to reports that some protesters surrounding the Olympic Park handball arena had been searching the belongings of passersby and directing abusive language at journalists and police.

Inspector Kim said the nature of protests going forward "may shift toward testing just how much police will tolerate," warning that "the pressure on police will grow uglier, and our patience and self-respect may not be strong enough to withstand it."

He drew a parallel with teachers who have worked to restore their professional authority, saying it was now time for police to reflect on where their dignity and self-respect stand — and, if they have fallen further than necessary, to consider how to recover them.

He said he hoped to see "more courageous attempts to overcome our mistakes while correcting them, without becoming weakened in the process," and added, "Police authority can only rise if everyone looks in the same direction."

Inspector Kim's spouse has recently announced on social media plans to file complaints against those who have posted malicious comments online.


jshan@heraldcorp.com