Police Union Officials Announce Head Shaving and Fasting in Opposition to Ministry of the Interior and Safety's Establishment of the 'Police Bureau'

National Police Station Workplace Council Presidents Nationwide
Starting Shaved Heads in Front of the Police Agency on the 4th
Relay Shaved Heads and Fasting from the 5th

Min Gwan-gi, president of the Cheongju Heungdeok Police Station Labor Union and former representative of the National Police Workplace Council Chairpersons, is delivering a welcoming speech at the policy forum on "Ensuring Police Neutrality and Independence and Establishing Democratic Control Measures," held on the 27th at the National Assembly Members' Office Building. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Gyumin] Frontline police officers have announced plans for collective action to oppose the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's establishment of the 'Police Bureau.'

On the 3rd, Min Gwan-gi, former representative of the National Police Workplace Council (currently the head of the Cheongju Heungdeok Police Station Workplace Council), stated, "On the 4th at 10 a.m., we plan to hold a head-shaving ceremony in front of the National Police Agency in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, together with the heads of workplace councils from various police stations to oppose the establishment of the Police Bureau under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety."

In a press release, Min said, "The announcement of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's plan to establish the Police Bureau marks the greatest crisis in the history of democratic policing," adding, "Since the department holds the authority to recommend senior personnel appointments, unlike prosecutors, the police?who are very vulnerable in personnel matters?will be forced to consider the regime's interests, raising serious concerns that the regime's influence will extend even to individual investigations."

He continued, "This undermines the independence and neutrality of the police, which was achieved after the 1987 death of the late Park Jong-cheol due to torture, and the establishment of the Police Bureau is a regression that destroys the history many citizens have built to protect democracy."

Finally, Min earnestly appealed to President Yoon Seok-yeol, saying, "I sincerely urge you to withdraw the policy to establish the Police Bureau to prevent repeating the painful past."

The workplace council also announced plans for collective action in front of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. They stated, "Starting at 10 a.m. on the 5th, heads of workplace councils from police stations nationwide will take turns shaving their heads in relay in front of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety in Sejong City, three people each day, and Min will undertake a solo hunger strike."

Meanwhile, Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, when asked on the 1st why he visited the Hongik Police Substation of Mapo Police Station in Seoul instead of the workplace council, which strongly opposes the establishment of the 'Police Bureau,' replied, "It was not to build a justification but to hear firsthand the stories of police officers working at the front lines."