"It's for cosplay" - Man in his 50s wearing police jumper and toy gun apprehended, explains after arrest

Statement to Police: "Claims to Be a Member of a Cosplay Club"

A man in his 50s was apprehended by the police after wandering inside a subway station while wearing equipment similar to a police uniform.

On August 10, the Goyang Police Station in Gyeonggi Province announced that Mr. A, a man in his 50s, had been sent to the prosecutor's office without detention on July 25 on charges of violating the Act on the Regulation of Police Uniforms and Equipment.

A man in his 50s wearing an outfit similar to a police uniform, wandering around historical sites. Gyeonggi Northern Provincial Police Agency

Mr. A is accused of wandering inside Korea Aerospace University Station in Deogyang-gu, Goyang City at around 10:56 p.m. on June 27, wearing a police jumper for spring and autumn, a conscripted police cap, and carrying a plastic toy pistol and a mock taser on his waist.

A citizen who witnessed the scene at the time reported to the police, saying, "He was wearing a police uniform, but there were no rank insignia or name tag." Responding officers apprehended Mr. A at the scene. During the police investigation, Mr. A stated that he was a member of a cosplay club and claimed to have purchased the uniform and equipment through overseas online shopping.

Man striding through the subway in police uniform. Provided by Gyeonggi Northern Provincial Police Agency

The current Act on the Regulation of Police Uniforms and Equipment prohibits anyone other than police officers from wearing, using, or carrying police uniforms or equipment. It also bans wearing similar police uniforms that make it difficult to distinguish the wearer from actual police officers.

Meanwhile, to mark its 80th anniversary, the police are currently producing new uniforms for the first time in 10 years. Since 1984, the police have updated their uniforms approximately every 10 years. Most recently, in 2015, the color of the work uniform was changed to a blue-green tone, which has been maintained to the present. Before selecting the final design, the police are gathering feedback from citizens.

Earlier, starting from July 24, the National Police Agency held work uniform evaluation sessions for active-duty officers at 18 provincial police agencies. During this process, photos of officers wearing some prototype uniforms were posted online, and a significant number of comments expressed negative reactions, such as "It looks like workwear."