[MZ Police Officer] "Holding a Phone Instead of Handcuffs for Citizens... Public Relations Completes Public Safety"

<44> Kang Jinsu, Sergeant, Administrative Division, Suseo Police Station, Seoul
Searching Far and Wide for Heroes in Black Box Footage
Preventing Crime Before It Happens Is More Important Than Rapid Response

Editor's NoteThe Generation Z era has arrived. New employees in their 20s and 30s are now shaping the future of organizational culture. The police force is no exception. Within the police, there are various departments such as criminal investigation, investigations, security, intelligence, traffic, administration, public relations, audit, and women & youth affairs. Work environments differ across regional headquarters, police stations, mobile units, and precincts or police boxes, and the duties vary greatly by region. From the perspective of the youngest police officers, we introduce their departments and hear vivid stories about their work and lives as they see them.

On the 18th, at Suseo Police Station in Seoul, Sergeant Kang Jinsu (31) was holding a telephone receiver instead of handcuffs. With the end of the year approaching, he was calling local precincts and police boxes to gather stories of officers who had saved lives or provided warm-hearted assistance to citizens. Having joined the force in 2020 and worked in both mobile units and precincts, he has been in charge of public relations-the "mouth and face" of Suseo Police Station-since the middle of last month. Sergeant Kang said, "I contact an average of two to three places a day and have discovered ten such cases so far," adding, "My mission is to highlight the sincerity of colleagues who work tirelessly in the field."

On the 18th, Sergeant Kang Jinsu (31) was taking photos at Suseo Police Station in Seoul. Photo by Park Seungwook

Putting People First Is the Key to Effective Public Relations

Turning these heartwarming stories into actual promotional materials involves a rigorous process. This is because it is necessary to verify the facts by checking black box and CCTV footage, and then obtain the consent of those involved. No matter how decisive the evidence or moving the rescue scene, if the victim or informant does not wish to be exposed, the material cannot be used. Sergeant Kang confessed, "Even when the purpose is for the public good, personal privacy takes precedence, so I feel regret when I cannot obtain consent," but added, "I fully understand their position, so I never push forward against their wishes."

Instead, he wins people over by prioritizing them over the work itself. A representative example is when he helped a cancer patient, stranded on an icy expressway in Gangnam District, Seoul, return home safely during a heavy snowstorm on the 4th. Before asking for consent to use video footage, Sergeant Kang first inquired about the citizen's health and well-being. Thanks to this thoughtful approach, the citizen gladly agreed to participate in the promotional activity, saying, "Thank you for caring until the very end."

Gaining the cooperation of fellow officers is no easy task either. He needs to meet active-duty police officers in person to take photos and conduct interviews, but approaching senior colleagues who tend to be shy was not easy. Sergeant Kang shared, "At first, it was often awkward when meeting seniors of different graduating classes or ranks one-on-one," and added, "In those cases, meeting together with their team members helped to naturally facilitate conversation, making the atmosphere much more relaxed and the promotional work easier."

On the 18th, Sergeant Jinsoo Kang (31), whom we met at the Suseo Police Station in Seoul, is introducing a voice phishing prevention poster. Photo by Seungwook Park

Crime Prevention Campaigns Are Built on Footwork

His public relations work goes beyond collecting heartwarming stories. He focuses on prevention activities as well, such as identifying new types of crimes that are difficult for victims to recognize-like "self-confinement," where victims are deceived by voice phishing perpetrators into isolating themselves-and turning them into easy-to-understand posters. In particular, leveraging the characteristics of Yeoksam-dong in Gangnam District, where many companies are concentrated, he personally visits businesses to seek cooperation in displaying prevention messages on large electronic billboards.

This proactive attitude is possible because he was a field officer at a precinct until recently. Sergeant Kang said that his values regarding public safety have changed since taking on public relations duties. He explained, "When I was at the precinct, the key was how quickly we could respond after an incident occurred, but now that I'm in public relations, I realize that the best public safety service is to prevent crimes from happening in the first place," he said with a smile.

On the 18th, Police Officer Kang Jinsu (31) is making a phone call at Suseo Police Station in Seoul. Photo by Park Seungwook

The weight of his new position is by no means light. Not only has his area of responsibility expanded, but there is also the constant pressure to come up with creative ideas that will capture the attention of citizens. Sergeant Kang said, "In the past, I could leave work behind after my shift, but now, even when I'm out for a walk, I keep thinking, 'How can I convey this message more effectively?'"

The answer, in the end, was found in the field. He goes out to the streets to meet citizens directly and visits institutions like banks to discuss the placement of crime prevention messages and response strategies. Recently, while conducting bicycle theft prevention education at schools near the Daechi-dong academy district, he even learned a thing or two from the students. Sergeant Kang said, "Rather than just delivering a message about being careful, I started to think about what the police should do to prevent bicycle theft from the students' perspective," and added, "At the time, I heard suggestions that, just like Seoul's shared bikes called 'Ddareungi,' regular bicycle racks should also have locking features using QR codes and similar technology. This made me realize that we need to consider both new prevention methods and how to promote them effectively."

Sergeant Kang's goal is to become a "warm-hearted police officer" for the citizens. He said, "When my nephew heard that his uncle was a police officer, he was scared and cried, and I realized that the rigid and cold image of the police still persists," adding, "Through friendly and trustworthy public relations activities, I want to show citizens that there are warm-hearted police officers by their side."