"My Husband Is Not a Chinese Police"... 'Police Hunting' Repeats Amid Chaos

"Not Suspicion, But Hate": Wife of Riot Squad Officer Appeals
Repeated Framing as "Fake Police" and "Chinese Police"
Demand for Psychological Counseling Rises, 17,024 Officers Used Services Last Year
National Police Agency: "All Are Police Officers, Stop Spreading False Claims"

"Who would want to send their family members to the police riot squad now? Isn't this just senseless hate?"

The wife of a police officer from the 2nd Riot Police Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency eventually broke down in tears during a phone call with The Asia Business Daily. Her husband, who had been deployed to the polling station blockade protest in front of the Handball Gymnasium at Olympic Park in Songpa-gu, Seoul, was stigmatized as a "Chinese police" or a "Temu police officer." She said, "I don't understand how such hate can be consumed as public sentiment," and added, "I want to tell my husband to leave the riot squad as soon as possible."

The incident began when some protest participants demanded identification. The officer explained, "I was transferred from another provincial police agency and haven't received my new government ID yet." However, some people mistook "another agency" for a subcontractor, leading to the spread of disinformation online that "Chinese police are acting as police contractors."

The officer's wife stated, "I want to set a precedent for what happens when police officers performing official duties are mocked without grounds," she said. "I will hold all 154 individuals identified so far fully accountable to the end, with no leniency."

On the 9th, police officers are changing shifts at the ballot counting station blockade protest site in front of the Handball Gymnasium at Olympic Park, Songpa-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

Whenever a major incident or social conflict erupts, police officers deployed to maintain order are repeatedly targeted by hate. Personal information about officers on site is shared, while unverified false claims such as "fake police" or "Chinese police" are circulated. Verbal abuse and physical threats are also frequent. It has been pointed out that not only the police lawfully performing their duties under orders, but also their families, are suffering as a result.

According to the National Police Agency on June 10, 17,024 police officers used the Mind Companion Center last year, with a total of 39,119 counseling sessions provided. The Mind Companion Center is an institution that treats job-related stress, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and trauma for officers. If needed, psychiatric care is also arranged. The number of users has steadily increased: 9,940 in 2021, 14,218 in 2022, 18,912 in 2023, and 16,923 in 2024.

Five police officers dispatched to the protest against the ballot shortage incident also sustained minor injuries. Physical attacks on police are not new. In January last year, during a protest in front of the residence in Hannam-dong over the execution of an arrest warrant for former President Yoon Suk-yeol, there were four cases of police assault. Assaults occurred at both pro- and anti-government rallies. During the Seoul Western District Court riot, dozens of officers trying to block protesters from entering the courthouse were punched and kicked, resulting in injuries. Claims that "Chinese police disguised themselves as Korean police" also spread via social media at this time. Earlier, in November 2024, at a rally organized by the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) in downtown Seoul, some participants used physical force by pushing against the police barricades.

The exhaustion among officers deployed to the field is reaching its peak. Officer A, a member of a Seoul riot police unit, said, "All I am doing is carrying out official duties as ordered, but I feel it is unfair to become a target of attacks from the public." He added, "I even received instructions from superiors not to wear masks, so I feel I am not receiving even the minimum protection." Another officer, B, said, "We are on no one's side, so why should we be insulted as 'Chinese police'?" He appealed, "Please do not mock police officers who are suffering together in the heat, and treat us neutrally." On the anonymous workplace community Blind, posts appeared saying, "When I went to manage the protest site, I needed the protesters' permission even to change shifts," and "Neither the organization nor the public trusts us."

Jang Donghyuk, leader of the People Power Party, is speaking with a megaphone in front of the Handball Gymnasium at Olympic Park in Songpa-gu, Seoul, where the vote counting is taking place on the 5th. Photo by Yonhap News

False stigmatization and violence against police officers are not confined to one political camp but are repeated at every site where social conflict intensifies. Some point out that police officers, who are placed at the frontline of sensitive issues, are being made scapegoats for public dissatisfaction and anger. Kwak Geumjoo, professor of psychology at Seoul National University, said, "A structure has been created in which all the burden and responsibility for conflict is shifted onto the police, who appear to be controlling the scene. If police officers are constantly exposed to verbal abuse, hate, and physical clashes, it can lead not only to demoralization but also to the weakening of law enforcement and the disruption of social order. Therefore, it is necessary to establish a long-term psychological support system for police officers."

Attorney Kim Kiyun of Kim Kiyun Law Office said, "If someone claims that a Korean police officer is a 'Chinese police' by exposing their face and personal information, even though it is clear that they are a Korean officer, this can constitute criminal defamation by spreading false information." He added, "If someone repeatedly posts malicious comments on disseminated videos, that also constitutes the crime of insult." He warned, "Those responsible may not only face criminal penalties, but also be liable for civil damages for psychological harm."

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