80th Anniversary of Police Foundation: Which Comes First, Symbolism or Practicality?
Teal Color to Be Maintained, Final Version to Be Unveiled in October
National Police Agency Says "We Will Improve by Listening to Staff Feedback"
As the police mark the 80th anniversary of their founding this year and consider revising their uniforms, a recent demonstration of prototype uniforms has sparked a range of opinions. The police plan to continue using the current teal-colored uniforms so that the public will come to recognize this as the "police color."
As the police commemorate the 80th anniversary of Changgyeong, photos of the prototype for the new duty uniform being produced have circulated online, sparking various evaluations. Yonhap News
On July 25, Yonhap News reported that the National Police Agency is working to unveil new police uniforms to the public on October 21, the 80th Police Day. It is known that prototype evaluation sessions are currently being held for employees at each city and provincial police agency. The police have improved their uniforms approximately every ten years since 1984. The most recent change was in 2015, when the work uniform color was changed to the current teal shade, which has been maintained ever since. The police intend to continue using this teal color for the work uniforms. The aim is to prevent public confusion caused by changing uniform colors every ten years and to establish teal as the police color.
However, concerns about the design of the new uniforms have been raised on internal police forums and online communities. On the workplace community 'Blind,' many current police officers expressed dissatisfaction. One user commented, "The police used to look really cool, but now the uniforms and everything else are starting to look more like office wear, which is disappointing," and "If the uniforms really turn out like this, it will be hard to tell the difference between a factory worker and a police officer." Another user remarked, "It must cost a lot of tax money to make these new uniforms for both soldiers and police officers, so I wonder why they end up looking so tacky." On the other hand, a user claiming to be a police official who attended the demonstration said, "I attended the demonstration and felt that the various designs and colors were well made, and that the National Police Agency put a lot of thought into the uniforms."
Police uniforms have changed every decade. The current teal-colored standard upper uniform design has been in use since 2015. The photo shows Police Officer Minseon Jeon working at Ohak Police Substation in Yeoju Police Station. Photo by Dongju Yoon
In response, an official from the National Police Agency stated, "We are still at the prototype stage, and the complaints are about just one of several prototypes," adding, "We will continue to improve the uniforms by reflecting employees' opinions." To fully incorporate staff feedback on the uniform revision, the National Police Agency has created a dedicated page called "Dignity of Uniforms" on its internal network to collect opinions.
Police Uniforms Change Every 10 Years: Can They Achieve Both Symbolism and Practicality?
Police uniforms have traditionally changed every ten years. The current teal-colored standard work uniform has been in use since 2015. In 2005, the general police work uniform was light gray, while traffic police wore a light ivory color. In 1995, the uniform shifted from a dark blue military style to a dark navy suit-style jacket, worn with a dress shirt and tie.
Police uniforms have changed every decade. The photo shows the evolution of police work uniforms. National Police Agency
The main feature of this uniform revision is to enhance the convenience of police officers working in the field. For example, the police plan to improve the dress-pants style work trousers by switching to cargo pants for greater mobility. Cargo pants are generally more practical due to their large pockets and offer greater freedom of movement. In addition, the police will focus on functional improvements for uniforms worn by field officers, riot police, and store police. For the first time, improvements will also be made to vests and other gear. Above all, the plan is to pursue a "balance design" that seeks a functional and aesthetic balance for each type of uniform, including jumpers, vests, and hats used by field officers.
In this regard, the police plan to standardize and improve the design of police vests, which have varied widely among field officers. In the past, different suppliers provided vests each year, and some officers even used privately purchased products, resulting in a variety of appearances. A National Police Agency official said, "The concept is to focus on functionality and convenience for field officers," and added, "We will create uniforms that symbolize the police, considering designs that harmonize even when wearing vests and other gear."
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