Police Drinking and Fighting Among Themselves Leads to 112 Report... Serious 'Giganhae' Issue

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Active-duty police officers belonging to the Mobile Headquarters of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency were reported to 112 after drinking and fighting until dawn. Recently, there have been frequent incidents of intoxicated police officers involved in assault disputes, raising concerns about serious disciplinary laxity.

On the 27th at around 5 a.m., the Geumcheon Police Station in Seoul received a 112 report that Lieutenant A and Police Officer B, both belonging to the Mobile Headquarters of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, were drinking and fighting. It is known that one of them made the report themselves.

They reportedly drank from after finishing their shift the previous day until before starting the next shift at dawn and ended up exchanging punches. However, since neither wanted to press charges, no criminal investigation was initiated.

The Mobile Headquarters of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency convened a disciplinary violation countermeasure meeting in the evening with the commanders of eight mobile units and is currently reviewing whether to conduct an internal investigation.

Recently, there have been repeated misconduct incidents involving Seoul police officers, such as assaulting fellow officers who were dispatched while intoxicated or being caught driving under the influence, leading to concerns about serious disciplinary laxity.

In particular, there have been many alcohol-related assault disputes involving police officers from the Mobile Units of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. In the early morning of the 9th, a lieutenant from the Mobile Unit engaged in mutual assault with a citizen who got into a dispute while intoxicated on a street in Dasan-dong, Namyangju City, Gyeonggi Province.

Earlier, on the 15th of last month, a lieutenant from the Mobile Unit was booked on charges of obstructing official duties after assaulting two police officers who tried to restrain him and put him into a patrol car following a dispute with a taxi driver at an intersection in Seongdong-gu, Seoul. The next day, a sergeant from the Mobile Unit assaulted a citizen involved in a dispute while intoxicated at a bar in Sillim-dong, Gwanak-gu.

On the 7th, Police Commissioner Yoon Hee-geun issued a "Special Alert to Eradicate Disciplinary Violations" in response to the recent increase in police misconduct cases.