"Chinese Police" "Are You an Outcast?" Police Officer Mocked by Jamsil Protesters Appeals for Restoration of Police Authority

Posted Under Real Name on Police Internal Network

"Minor Illegal and Deviant Acts Difficult to Correct"

A current police officer who was mocked by protesters after being deployed to the "Jamsil ballot counting center blockade protest" has appealed for the restoration of police authority.

According to Yonhap News on June 10, Superintendent Kim Minkyu, head of the Security Division of the 2nd Mobile Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, posted an article titled "Where Has Police Authority Gone?" under his real name on the police’s internal network the previous day.

Yonhap News

Superintendent Kim, who was dispatched to the protest site at Olympic Park in Songpa-gu, Seoul, on June 5, reportedly suffered harm from the protesters’ spreading of false information, including claims that he was a "Chinese police officer." On social networking services (SNS), a video circulated showing Superintendent Kim being surrounded by protesters and subjected to insults such as "Try using your radio" and "Are you an outcast?"

Superintendent Kim stated, "Teachers are making continuous efforts to restore the fallen authority of educators. Now, it is time for us to reflect on the current state of our human rights and dignity, and, if they have fallen excessively, to consider how we can restore them."

He went on to say that, for the participants, the protest may be seen as a success, "because, despite the Western District Court incident having been a major failure, this unreported protest has so far remained visibly orderly without escalating into a disturbance or major violence, and has proceeded with almost no intervention from the authorities."

However, Superintendent Kim pointed out, "Most of the minor illegal and deviant acts occurring in this process are not being corrected." This appears to refer to situations where some protesters surrounding the ballot counting center at the Olympic Park Handball Gymnasium searched citizens’ personal belongings or repeatedly directed violence and abusive language toward journalists and police officers.

Superintendent Kim noted, "From now on, the nature of these protests may shift to a level that tests the extent of police tolerance. The pressure on the police will become increasingly severe, and our patience and pride may not be strong enough to withstand it."

He added, "While the police should take responsibility for our mistakes and work to correct them, I hope we see more courageous attempts to overcome these challenges without becoming weakened by them."

Meanwhile, the blockade protest at the Jamsil ballot counting center was triggered by a shortage of ballot papers during the June 3 local elections. The protests, led mainly by those in their 20s and 30s, are calling for a re-election and reforms of the National Election Commission.

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