"Should We Deliver Packages on the College Entrance Exam Day with Call Taxis?"... Some Police Officers Are Boiling

10,343 Personnel and 2,547 Vehicles Deployed on Suneung Day
"Not a Designated Duty" vs "It's Just a Moment, Can't You Do It?" Debate

On the morning of the 16th, the day of the College Scholastic Ability Test, a test-taker who arrived in a patrol car in front of Seonin High School in Michuhol-gu, Incheon, is expressing gratitude to a police officer. Photo by Yonhap News

On the day of the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) on the 13th, scenes of police officers giving rides to students at risk of being late and transporting admission tickets were captured across the country. Every year on CSAT day, these recurring scenes have sparked complaints within the police force. They argue that such activities fall outside the scope of their official duties.

According to the National Police Agency on the 15th, police provided convenience services 187 times nationwide on CSAT day, including transporting students 154 times by police vehicles and retrieving admission tickets left at home 9 times. Additionally, to manage traffic around test sites, 11,343 personnel were deployed, including traffic police, riot police, local police, and exemplary drivers, along with 2,089 patrol cars, 349 police motorcycles, and a total of 2,547 vehicles.

"Are we a call taxi?", "Is escorting students really police work?"... Voices of internal dissatisfaction

On this issue, the anonymous workplace community 'Blind' saw current police officers expressing their dissatisfaction with comments such as "Are we a call taxi?", "Is escorting students really police work?", and "Do the police have no pride?" Self-deprecating responses like "Is this why I became a police officer?" and "I’m feeling disillusioned" also followed. An on-duty police officer who requested anonymity told Yonhap News Agency, "Just as students taking other important exams do not request special conveniences from the police, ultimately it is their own responsibility," adding, "There are many internal opinions urging us to focus on the police’s core duties."

Of course, there are also opinions that help should be provided to students. One police officer said, "It’s only for a short time on the exam day; can’t we even do that?" and "Providing transportation for students doesn’t prevent us from doing our other duties." Another officer argued, "Since the whole country is chaotic on CSAT day, it is only natural for the police to step in." According to the Police Duties Execution Act, police duties are defined as protecting the life, body, and property of the people, preventing and investigating crimes, and enforcing traffic regulations.

In response, Professor Lee Yun-ho of Dongguk University’s Department of Police Administration told Yonhap News Agency, "If it is something that could jeopardize the lives of the people, it is naturally a duty to perform, but it is not a type of task that only police officers can do," adding, "This is a matter the police can reasonably question." He further explained, "From the perspective of providing convenience to residents, there is some validity, but there is a need to discuss and reach a consensus on the scope of duties that police and citizens can agree upon."