[MZ Police Officer] "Police Are Pitchers Who Prevent Crime"... From Baseball Boy to the Youngest at the Precinct

<11>Namhae Police Station Central Precinct Officer Woo Joobin
From Aspiring Baseball Player to Reliable People's Protector
Guardian of the Coastal Village Communicating with Local Residents

"When I played baseball, my position was pitcher, and in terms of stopping the opponent's offense and protecting the team, it feels similar to being a police officer."

In early January, I met Police Officer Wi Joobin (24) at the Jungang Police Substation of Namhae Police Station in Gyeongnam. He joined the force in 2023 and started working here in January last year. Having dreamed of becoming a professional baseball player since childhood, he was diagnosed with osteosarcoma at the age of 12. After going through several grueling rounds of chemotherapy, he returned to the baseball team after two years, but the reality he faced was harsh. His physical strength had declined due to chemotherapy, and his dream of joining a professional team was shattered.

However, Officer Wi was attracted to the police profession, which has a role similar to that of a pitcher, and immediately took the open recruitment exam. He recalled, "The more I prepared for the police exam, the more I fell in love with this job. When playing baseball, I liked collaborating with teammates to find better ways, and if someone was struggling, I enjoyed helping by suggesting 'there's this method, how about trying it?' so I thought the police profession would suit me well."

Because he had overcome such a serious illness, there was considerable concern from those around him at first. Officer Wi said, "When I first dreamed of becoming a police officer, my parents were negative, saying, 'You stopped playing baseball because your health was poor, so why choose a physically demanding job?'" but he added, "Still, after joining, they worry a bit but are happy." His senior colleagues praised him endlessly, saying, "If he doesn't know something, he keeps researching and studying. Maybe because he used to exercise, he has exceptional perseverance and is serious." Officer Wi smiled and said, "I still make small mistakes when handling tasks, but because everyone is kind, they understand and overlook my errors."

On the 6th, Police Officer Woo Joo-bin (24) of the Central Precinct, Namhae Police Station, Gyeongnam, is posing in front of the precinct. Photo by Shim Sung-ah

The year Officer Wi entered the Central Police Academy, a 'major education reform' was implemented, significantly changing police school training. Especially in classes where students created their own field dispatch scenarios and performed police duties, Officer Wi learned a lot. He recalled, "I created and responded to field scenarios myself, and at first, I made a lot of mistakes. I felt frustrated, but I thought it was better to make mistakes and learn properly at school before going out to the actual field."

Although he volunteered as class president and trained and studied hard, the real field he faced was a completely different world. Officer Wi said, "Training only teaches legal procedures and behavioral guidelines, but in the field, even if the situation is the same, the people you deal with are different, and there are tens of thousands of variables. So I realized that training and reality are different, which was quite surprising."

Because of this, it is no exaggeration to say that Officer Wi lives by the manual, constantly studying to adhere to principles and procedures. He carefully reads field situation reports posted by other officers on the police intranet and imagines how he would respond if he were in those situations. Officer Wi explained, "Because there are fewer reports than in big cities with many people, I lack field experience. So I think it's better to familiarize myself with the manual as much as possible before dispatch, and I study whenever I can."

The police officer carefully reviews the work manual whenever he has time. Photo by Seongsang Ah

Of course, he does have field duties. Namhae-gun in Gyeongnam is a quiet rural area without a large supermarket, but during summer, when vacationers come to enjoy the beach or tourists visit famous temples like Boriam and the German Village, 112 emergency calls surge. While normally 3 to 4 calls are received daily, in summer, double digits are the norm. Since many elderly residents work in agriculture, crimes like agricultural product theft and house break-ins frequently occur. Officer Wi said, "During harvest season, there are frequent incidents of people taking agricultural products laid out to dry. Also, after the busy farming season, villagers often go on trips together, and during this time, house break-ins happen often."

On one wall of the Jungang Police Substation where Officer Wi works, there is a special list not seen in other substations. It is a list of 76 village chiefs from the three towns and townships under the substation’s jurisdiction: Namhae-eup, Seomyeon, and Idong-myeon, with their photos, names, and phone numbers. Officer Wi said, "We collect all the village chiefs' phone numbers and contact them when something happens in the area to solve problems. For example, if an elderly resident goes missing or during vacation seasons when tourists flood in, we contact the village chiefs to make announcements and work together to prevent crimes and accidents."

By forming a cooperative system with village chiefs to create a safe security environment, the Jungang Police Substation was recognized and received the Commissioner General’s Commendation from the National Police Agency in October last year. Officer Wi added, "After the busy farming season, when the village chiefs inform us of the villagers' travel schedules, we focus more intensively on patrolling the village accordingly. Communication between the village chiefs and the substation is active, allowing efficient response to urgent issues."

After working for about a year, he has developed his own know-how. When receiving reports related to intoxicated persons, Officer Wi said, "I try to imagine the situation roughly based on the report. I go out to the scene leaving my ego and emotions behind. Preparing like this reduces emotional exhaustion and stress." He recalled his first dispatch, saying, "I firmly advised an intoxicated person to go home, but he caused a commotion, even swinging his fists at the police, which was quite shocking." He added, "At times like that, I carefully observed how my seniors responded. I learned a lot by seeing that if you listen well and empathize with the intoxicated person, they become cooperative."

Around 2 p.m. on the 6th, Officer Wi was seen patrolling with a senior police officer. Photo by Shim Seong-ah

At 2 p.m., Officer Wi went on patrol with a senior officer. The villages visited that day with the reporter were Dongsan Village and Gwangpo Village in Namhae-eup. One patrol takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes to 2 hours. They park the patrol car at the village entrance and walk through the alleys to inspect the village. Although no residents were outside due to the chilly wind, Officer Wi carefully observed the surroundings. Besides village patrols, he also stood on the roadside to monitor vehicle traffic to prevent traffic accidents. Officer Wi explained, "Just the frequent presence of police cars or officers has a crime prevention effect. Since there are many elderly residents vulnerable to crime, we pay special attention to village security."

Officer Wi compared police officers to 'chameleons.' He said, "Chameleons change their color according to the situation, and police officers have to handle tasks according to the reports received, so they are similar in that way. Police work is very diverse, and no matter how well you know the manual, the reports are so varied and always feel unfamiliar and new."

Finally, Officer Wi advised aspiring police officers, "People often have illusions about police from dramas or movies, but you need to put those illusions aside when joining. Police do not suppress citizens with force like in dramas; you must follow set procedures. If mistakes occur during these procedures, the responsibility is significant."