Police Dispatched During Last Year's Itaewon Disaster
Delayed Response Due to Mistaken Festival Crowd
Search on Portal Lists Sales Sites
Police "Taking Measures to Stop Sales"
With Halloween Day approaching on the 31st, police uniform cosplay costumes (dressing up as specific characters or individuals) are being openly sold online. After criticism arose that police officers and firefighters dispatched during last year’s Itaewon tragedy were mistaken for festival participants, causing delays in their response, the police requested sales bans and conducted crackdowns on commercial platforms. However, with almost a year passed and no changes, doubts about the effectiveness of these measures have been raised.
Products searched with the keyword 'Police' on a commerce platform mall on the 4th. [Image capture = Commerce platform search page]
On the 5th, searching for police uniforms on an internet portal yielded dozens of sites selling imitation police uniforms. When typing ‘gyeongchalbok’ (police uniform) into the search bar, paid advertisement shopping mall links selling similar police uniforms appeared at the top. Another portal displayed a notice stating, “Due to concerns about exposure to illegal items, search results are not provided; please take this into account when using the service” when searching for ‘police’ and ‘police uniform.’ However, entering other related keywords returned 65,000 products priced between 10,000 and 50,000 KRW. On another messenger shopping tab, searching for ‘uniform’ and ‘police uniform’ showed about 250 related products. On secondhand trading sites, three posts selling police uniforms appeared under the keyword ‘gyeongchalbok.’
Under current law, possession and wearing of official police uniforms or similar attire is strictly illegal. The current “Act on the Regulation of Police Uniforms and Equipment” stipulates that non-police officers must not wear or use police uniforms or equipment, and no one may wear or use imitation police equipment or uniforms. Violations can result in imprisonment of up to six months or fines, detention, or penalties of up to 3 million KRW. Additionally, selling, manufacturing, or renting such items without registration with the National Police Agency can lead to imprisonment of up to one year or fines up to 10 million KRW. Registered businesses must also keep and manage ledgers recording buyers’ personal information.
On Halloween Day, it is common to enjoy the festival dressed as ghosts, spirits, or characters. People wearing police or military uniforms are also frequently seen. However, this can lead to serious problems in emergency situations. Survivors of last year’s Itaewon tragedy testified that they mistook police officers and firefighters dispatched to the scene for festival participants and did not make way for them. Following criticism that police cosplay complicated the situation management, the National Police Agency sent a cooperation letter to Naver in November last year requesting a ban on online sales of imitation police uniforms and equipment. At that time, Naver also took action to crack down on the distribution of imitation police uniforms on its platform.
In May of this year, the police sent a similar letter to the Korea Online Shopping Mall Association and stated that they are regularly monitoring the situation. A police official said, “We are strengthening monitoring ahead of Halloween and will separately request individual companies to cooperate in banning sales. Since the purpose is to prevent illegal distribution, we mainly take corrective actions based on the law.” However, as sales of imitation uniforms continue to flourish, there are criticisms that police monitoring is merely a show. The police official added, “Wearing imitation uniforms can also be considered impersonation of a police officer, which is a crime. We are currently contacting businesses to stop sales, and on Halloween Day, we will strongly crack down on anyone wearing attire similar to actual police uniforms.”
Experts say a stronger enforcement will is necessary. Lee Yun-ho, Chair Professor of Police Science at Korea Cyber University, said, “The reason for wearing a uniform is to easily distinguish police officers from civilians and to exercise legitimate public authority. Since situations causing harm to many have occurred, stronger law enforcement is needed.” Lim Joon-tae, Professor of Police Administration at Dongguk University, said, “Perfect prevention is difficult, but raising sentencing standards to raise awareness is also worth considering.”
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