Grandmother Kicked Out, Then Suddenly a Photo of Being Carried... "Police Staged a Show" Backlash

Controversy Over Busan Police Evicting 70s Grandmother
Photo Released Showing Grandmother Carried and Handed to Guardian
"Image Cleaning Attempt... Ridiculous Staged Show" Criticism

Busan police, who sparked controversy by kicking out a woman in her 70s who visited a local police substation during a cold wave, recently faced backlash after releasing photos of a dementia-stricken elderly woman being handed over to her guardian.

On the 26th, the Busan Police posted two photos on their Facebook page ‘Busan Police’ showing what appeared to be a police officer carrying a white-haired elderly woman on their back. They explained the situation at the time, saying, “On Lunar New Year's Day, a woman nearly ninety years old came out without wearing a thick coat and got lost. She had bruises, possibly from falling.”

Busan police recently released a photo of a dementia grandmother who lost her way being handed over to her guardian.
[Photo by Busan Police Facebook page]

They added, “The responding officer requested emergency medical personnel from 119, provided first aid, confirmed her residence through previous reports, and safely handed her over to her guardian.” They continued, “She was bleeding in the cold weather, so it could have been a serious situation, but after providing first aid for simple bruises, she was quickly taken to a warm home, so there were no major health issues.”

Additionally, they promoted the ‘Pre-registration of fingerprints and other data’ system, stating, “Anyone with dementia, children under 18, and people with intellectual disabilities can register,” and urged, “Please make sure to pre-register fingerprints and other data so that your precious family members do not have to walk in darkness for long.”

"Image Washing," "Staged Show"... Netizens' Criticism Continues

On the 14th, an incident was reported where police officers at a district police station in Busan asked a woman in her 70s, Ms. A, who came seeking shelter from the cold during a cold wave, to leave the premises.
[Photo by MBN]

Despite this heartwarming story, netizens responded critically with comments such as “More image washing,” “A really ridiculous staged show,” and “Disappointed in Busan police.” This came after an incident on the 14th at a Busan police substation where officers expelled a woman in her 70s who had come seeking shelter from the cold.

At that time, the woman, identified as Ms. A, had missed the last train departing from Busan Station and was waiting for the first train while trying to escape the cold by visiting the police substation. CCTV footage inside the substation showed one officer forcibly grabbing Ms. A’s arm and pulling her, while another officer locked the door.

After the footage was reported, citizens called to protest, and there were multiple reports of inappropriate responses by some staff. When one citizen said, “I’m calling because I was very angry after watching the news,” the responding officer reportedly replied, “Ah, then keep being angry.”

As public outrage grew over the incident of expelling the elderly woman, the substation explained that Ms. A was interfering with the staff’s duties, leaving no choice but to send her outside. Nevertheless, the controversy did not subside, and on the 28th, the Dongbu Police Station, which has jurisdiction, issued an apology letter signed by the police chief. Ms. A filed a complaint against the officers involved, and the police are conducting a fact-finding investigation into the matter.

Shortly after the substation incident, the heartwarming story was released, but it instead triggered a backlash. Netizens criticized the police, saying, “Is this the place where an elderly woman trying to warm herself on a cold day was heartlessly kicked out? Stop promoting trivial things on SNS and properly take care of matters like this,” “They dragged out the elderly woman who came because of the cold but carried another elderly woman on their back,” and “Do Busan’s elderly have to pretend to have dementia to get help from the police?”