Neglect of Duties Due to Securing Commissioner Position
Jeonbuk Police Agency "Attended Due to Personal Schedule"
Controversy has arisen after it was revealed that the Chief of Jeonbuk Police Agency, responsible for on-site safety at a regional university festival attended by tens of thousands, drank alcohol and danced. While criticisms mainly focused on "negligence in safety management," some opinions argued, "Isn't it possible to enjoy the festival outside of working hours?"
On May 10, Im Byeong-suk, Chief of Jeonbuk Police Agency, reportedly drank and enjoyed the performance of singer Psy at the Jeonbuk National University festival site along with the Chief of Jeonju Wansan Police Station in Jeonbuk. At the suggestion of staff, Chief Im settled at a pub inside the university, and when singer Psy began his performance, he danced for about 1 to 2 minutes.
Over 150,000 people (estimated by Jeonbuk National University) gathered during the three-day festival, and on the 10th, when the famous singer Psy's performance was scheduled, an even larger crowd was expected at the main stadium. In this situation, criticism arose that it was inappropriate for the police chief, the person in charge of public security, to enjoy singing and dancing. It was also understood that about 70 police officers were deployed on site, but some officers reportedly failed to manage the crowd properly because they were securing a spot for Chief Im. The controversy grew larger as this came at a time when police were under increased pressure to respond promptly to crowd control following the Itaewon tragedy.
The Jeonbuk Police Agency stated, "We sincerely apologize for causing discomfort due to inappropriate behavior in a situation where crowd congestion was expected," but explained, "However, the command authority for crowd management was held by the Chief of Jeonju Deokjin Police Station in Jeonbuk, and participation in the festival was on a personal schedule basis."
Im Byeong-suk, Chief of Jeonbuk Police Agency, said, "I was on site because the large crowd seemed dangerous, and since the waiting time was long, I stayed at the pub and ended up dancing," adding, "I sincerely apologize for not thinking deeply about this. I will act more cautiously in the future."
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