Controversy Over "Too Easy" Test
Firsthand Experience Tells a Different Story
Male Reporter, Despite Being Active, Struggles
Female Reporter Faces a Barrier from the Start
"Even Current Officers Would Find It Hard
to Guarantee a Passing Sco
"Isn't this supposed to be a piece of cake?"
There has been ongoing controversy over the perceived low level of difficulty of the newly revised police officer (patrol officer) physical fitness test, which will switch to a unified selection process for men and women starting next year. Two reporters from The Asia Business Daily, one male and one female, took on the revamped fitness test themselves.
On the 22nd, we visited the circular fitness test experience booth at the 7th International Police Industry Expo held at Songdo Convensia in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon. The circular fitness test consists of five courses: obstacle running, pole hurdle jumping, pushing and pulling, rescue, and trigger pulling. Both male and female participants must wear a 4.2kg vest and complete all five courses within 4 minutes and 40 seconds to pass.
Even for Active Men, It's Exhausting
On the 22nd, at the circular fitness test experience booth held at Songdo Convensia in Incheon, reporter Byeon Seonjin is jumping over a 0.9m pole hurdle. Photo by Lee Eunseo.
After receiving an explanation of the test courses from a police officer, I put on the 4.2kg vest and entered the test area. Once I pressed the start button, the countdown began, and I launched into the first course: obstacle running. This event requires participants to run six laps, each involving a 0.6m hurdle, a 1.5m mat and barrier, and a five-step staircase. I expended a lot of energy at the 1.5m mat and barrier, and I lost time retracing my steps when I got confused about the course order. The real challenge hit on the fourth lap. I started to lose my breath and my legs were giving out. On the final lap, I barely cleared the hurdle and sprinted with all my remaining energy, finishing the course in 2 minutes and 10 seconds.
The next course, pole hurdle jumping, required me to start from a prone position, get up, jump over a 0.9m pole, lie back down, and repeat this sequence three times. By the third hurdle, I was completely out of breath and my stamina was depleted. I immediately moved on to the pushing and pulling event. Here, I had to push a 32kg device all the way to the end, then pull it back in a semicircular motion, repeating each action three times. I grabbed the handles with confidence, but warning alarms kept sounding, forcing me to restart the movements from the beginning each time.
On the 22nd, at the circulating fitness test experience booth held at Songdo Convensia in Incheon, reporter Byun Seonjin is pushing a physical resistance device weighing 32kg. Photo by Lee Eunseo
The most difficult event was the "rescue" course. I had to drag a mannequin weighing 72kg, representing a large adult male, for about 11 meters using both hands. After about 5 meters, my thighs and forearms gave out and I had to stop for three seconds. After barely finishing the course, I faced the final challenge: trigger pulling. I had to insert the barrel of a mock rifle into a circular frame on a structure in front of me and pull the trigger 16 times with each hand to pass. After intense aerobic and anaerobic exercise, even moving a finger was a struggle. I had to focus all my attention on my fingertips just to pull the trigger. My final time was 4 minutes and 55 seconds-15 seconds slower than the passing time of 4 minutes and 40 seconds, earning a "normal" grade.
For Women, the First Hurdle Is Already a Barrier
On the 22nd, at the circular fitness test experience booth held at Songdo Convensia in Incheon, reporter Eunseo Lee is jumping over a 0.6m hurdle. Photo by Seonjin Byun
Next, reporter Lee Eunseo, a woman, put on the 4.2kg vest and entered the first course. For Lee, who rarely exercises, the biggest challenge was the 1.5m barrier, which was as tall as she was. Standing in front of the wall, she felt both physically and psychologically overwhelmed. As she repeated the obstacle course, her body became increasingly unresponsive. By the sixth lap, her legs were giving out and warning alarms sounded every time she tried to clear the mat. She also struggled to remember the order and keep track of the course. By the time she finished, more than three minutes had already passed.
The difficulties continued with the second course, pole hurdle jumping. As she tried to clear the hurdle, the supervisor warned, "Your thighs or hips must not touch; you must jump with both feet." Each time she crawled and lay back down beside the barrier, her mind grew foggier.
The pushing and pulling event that followed was even more challenging. She tried to pull the 32kg device, but lacked the strength to move it properly. As her balance faltered, the handle slipped, triggering more warning alarms. When the police officer told her to "start over," she was left in despair.
On the 22nd, at the circulatory fitness test experience booth held at Songdo Convensia in Incheon, reporter Lee is pulling a 72kg mannequin. Photo by Byun Seonjin
The final challenge was the trigger pulling. But by then, her entire body was exhausted and her fingers would not respond. Her final time was 6 minutes and 40 seconds-two minutes slower than the passing time of 4 minutes and 40 seconds.
Looking at the records of 10 other participants, except for two professional fitness instructors from a police academy, none managed to pass. A National Police Agency official commented, "Even active-duty police officers would find it difficult to guarantee a pass if they retook the revised test. The new fitness test is by no means easy. It was developed over four years of research and pilot programs to verify the physical abilities needed in real-life situations, rather than just measuring simple strength. Circular fitness tests like this are now the global standard."
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