Police to Strengthen Patrols Around Statue of Peace, Strictly Investigate Illegal Acts

The National Police Agency announced on January 7 that it will strengthen patrols at the locations where the Statue of Peace is installed and will respond strictly to any illegal activities.

Statue of Peace.

The police plan to restrict or prohibit rallies and demonstrations near schools that may infringe on students' right to learn, and will actively respond to illegal acts through online monitoring.

Previously, on December 31, Kim Byunghun, head of the far-right civic group "National Action for the Abolition of the Comfort Women Law," along with several members, held up banners with phrases such as "Are you guiding students toward prostitution by erecting a comfort woman statue on campus?" in front of the main gate of Seocho High School in Seocho-gu, Seoul, without notifying the local police station.

Kim is currently under investigation by the Yangsan Police Station in South Gyeongsang Province on charges of defamation under the Information and Communications Network Act and property damage.

President Lee Jaemyung, on the previous day, shared a link to an online article on social networking services (SNS) reporting that Kim had been booked and was under investigation, and criticized the act as "utterly senseless defamation of the deceased."