"Too Scared to Pass" Homeless People Drink and Fight Among Themselves... 4 Years Since 'Nobanjang' Vacancy

Increase in 112 Emergency Calls After 'Nobanjang' Vacancy
Police Actively Considering Replacement Assignment

“He was incredibly warm. The people in this neighborhood would call him ‘Ban-jang-nim, Ban-jang-nim’ and followed him well.”

At one time, around Yeongdeungpo Station on Seoul Subway Line 1, there was a police officer known among the homeless and residents of the jjokbangchon (small room villages) as the ‘No-ban-jang.’ He was former Sergeant Jeong Sun-tae, the ‘homeless-dedicated police officer’ who worked at the Yeongdeungpo Station Police Substation. People shortened the title ‘homeless management team leader’ to call Sergeant Jeong ‘No-ban-jang.’ Namgung Mo (56), who has lived in a jjokbangchon near Yeongdeungpo Station for nine years, recalled, “Whenever there was a problem between the homeless or jjokbang residents, No-ban-jang would rush over to calm both sides and stop fights. There were really many people drinking, but when No-ban-jang asked them to restrain themselves, everyone listened well.”

However, after Sergeant Jeong retired honorably four years ago, the legacy of the ‘No-ban-jang’ ended. As order around Yeongdeungpo Station began to deteriorate again, the homeless and jjokbang residents deeply felt his absence. Namgung said, “After the Ban-jang-nim disappeared, the surroundings gradually became noisier and more chaotic. Because of that, even after he left, people kept looking for him.” Kim Mo (57), who has been around the station area for 20 years, also said, “He often came to check on us and brought us some food, so many people followed him. After he retired, this place went back to square one.”

Around 9 a.m. on the 25th, police officers are restraining intoxicated individuals who were drinking and disturbing order near Yeongdeungpo Station on Seoul Subway Line 1.
[Photo by Shim Seong-a]

As the vacancy of the ‘homeless-dedicated police officer’ around Seoul’s Yeongdeungpo Station continues for several years, frequent drinking and fights among the homeless have increased citizens’ anxiety and concerns.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on the 25th, the number of 112 emergency calls at the Yeongdeungpo Station Police Substation under the Yeongdeungpo Police Station rose slightly from 6,533 cases in 2020, after No-ban-jang’s honorable retirement, to 6,782 cases in 2021. Last year, 7,136 cases were reported, and as of October this year, 6,016 cases have been recorded. With about 600 cases per month, it is expected to exceed 7,000 cases by the end of the year.

Moreover, recently, a man in his 50s who was homeless died after being assaulted by a group of other homeless individuals near Yeongdeungpo Station, heightening anxiety among nearby merchants and citizens. Kim Mo (51) said, “I was shocked when I heard on the news that a homeless man died recently. I walk this route to and from work every day, so it was scary.” Ko Mo (57) also said, “The homeless drink and fight almost every day. It’s scary to pass by, and I worry that an accident might happen.”

As the community’s regret over the more than four-year vacancy of the ‘No-ban-jang’ grows, the police plan to actively assign a successor homeless-dedicated police officer. A representative from the Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police Station explained, “After Sergeant Jeong’s honorable retirement, no successor appeared, and at that time, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, face-to-face contact was reduced, leaving the homeless-dedicated position vacant. As part of the ‘community policing’ policy and from a crime prevention perspective, we are positively reviewing the assignment of a dedicated police officer.”