"March 1st Rallies in Downtown Seoul Conclude Safely"... Riot Police Deployment Reduced by 50%

First Large-Scale Application of "Rally Management Re-Design"
More Marshals from Organizers, Fewer Police Officers Deployed

The police concluded large-scale rallies and demonstrations held in downtown Seoul during the March 1st Movement holiday period without major clashes.

On the 28th of last month, in front of the "Statue of Peace" near the former Japanese Embassy in Jongno-gu, Seoul, the "107th Anniversary of the March 1st Independence Movement, Citizens' Declaration for Historical Justice and Peace Between Korea and Japan" was held. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency announced on March 2 that rallies and demonstrations were safely concluded over the two-day period starting on the 28th of last month. For the March 1st Movement-related rallies and demonstrations on the 28th, the agency deployed 39 riot police units, totaling around 2,400 personnel. This was the first case of managing large-scale rallies and demonstrations under the "Rally and Demonstration Management Re-Design" policy, reducing the number of personnel deployed by about 50% compared to the previous year. This marks a departure from the conventional practice of deploying riot police en masse to prevent illegal activities.

The police accompanied only the minimum number of officers while allowing order to be maintained autonomously through self-appointed marshals secured in advance through discussions with the organizers. During the holiday period, there were no incidents of unauthorized occupation of roadways or acts of violence. The police are considering legal action in two cases where the noise regulations were violated.

At the rally and demonstration in Seoul on the 28th of last month, approximately 480 marshals appointed by the organizers, numbering between 10 and 300 per group, were deployed. The police also assigned 127 "dialogue police officers" to communicate with protesters and help defuse conflicts.

The police plan to further refine this rally and demonstration management model and fully implement the "Rally and Demonstration Management Re-Design" policy. Personnel saved through the more efficient operation of riot police units will be actively utilized in public safety and community policing fields.

Jeongbo Park, Commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, stated, "I would like to thank the citizens for their cooperation in ensuring that rallies were held safely, based on a mature civic consciousness," and added, "We hope that an advanced and peaceful culture of rallies and demonstrations will become well established."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.