Police Chief: "Six New Mobile Units to Be Established in Seoul in July... Promise of Special Promotions and Reward Leave"

Yoon Hee-geun, Commissioner of the National Police Agency, "Eradicate Illegal Gatherings"

Yoon Hee-geun, Commissioner of the National Police Agency, announced on the 25th that six additional police riot squads will be established at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency to strictly respond to illegal assemblies.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the same day, Commissioner Yoon stated in an internal letter, "We will establish six additional police riot squads at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and reorganize the nationwide police riot squads to reinforce personnel in the Seoul metropolitan area, where security demands are concentrated."

The National Police Agency plans to gradually increase the riot squad personnel starting from July. A National Police Agency official said, "We intend to reflect this in personnel appointments in the second half of this year and the first half of next year to establish additional riot squads."

Commissioner Yoon said, "Until now, even if some disorder and confusion occurred during assemblies and demonstrations, it was regarded as a process of realizing constitutionally guaranteed fundamental rights, and there was a tendency to be lenient. The police also enforced the law mainly through post-event judicial processing rather than forced dispersal or on-site arrests." He added, "However, criticism is growing against insisting on past methods that cause irreparable physical and psychological harm to the majority of good people."

Commissioner Yoon also said he would promote immunity for on-site police officers. He stated, "If problems arise from active law enforcement at assembly and demonstration sites, an Active Administration Immunity Review Committee will be convened even without the officer's request, and if decided as active administration, immunity will be granted immediately without disciplinary action."

Commissioner Yoon added that special promotions will be assigned to police riot squad members, and after the conclusion of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions' strike situation in July, reward leave will be implemented.