"Don't Treat Us Like Criminals": Police Labor Union Holds Meeting to Oppose Forced Rotational Transfers

Nationwide Joint Meeting Held to Discuss Response Measures
"Expanding Aftermath of Jang Yoonki Incident to Entire Police Force Is Inappropriate"

The National Police Labor Union, a body equivalent to a labor union for police officers, convened a nationwide joint meeting of police unit labor unions to protest the government’s plan to expand compulsory rotational transfers, which was proposed following the "Jang Yoonki incident" and allegations of inadequate investigation.

The union held the nationwide joint meeting of police unit labor unions at 1 p.m. on July 29 in Daechungmaru on the 13th floor of the National Police Agency in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. A total of 165 attendees, including delegates of local unions and heads of non-affiliated police unit unions, gathered for the meeting. Before the session, participants chanted slogans such as "Opposition to Forced Rotational Transfers" and "Opposition to Deceptive Oversight Expansion" in front of the headquarters' main entrance.

The National Police Workplace Association (NPWA) is shouting slogans such as "Oppose Forced Rotation Personnel Changes" in front of the National Police Agency entrance in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, ahead of the nationwide police unit association joint meeting on the afternoon of the 29th. Photo by Yonhap News

Min Kwan-ki, chairman of the union, told reporters, "Following the Jang Yoonki incident, the Minister of the Interior and Safety announced that the police would implement compulsory rotational transfer work, but field officers are protesting because this means treating all 130,000 officers as quasi-criminals over a single incident by attempting to enforce rotational transfers." He continued, "We have convened today's meeting to discuss our response strategy and the upcoming announcements from the National Police Agency."

The agenda includes discussion of establishing a joint response committee and expressing opinions to the National Police Agency and the Police Investigation Reform Committee. The union plans to form an executive body and determine the level of its response to the government based on the matters agreed upon during the meeting.

Currently, the National Police Agency is reviewing expanding rotational transfers, originally focused on police commissioners and deputy commissioners assigned to different regions, to include the rank of inspector, as part of efforts to tackle the issue of regional collusion revealed by inadequate investigation in the Jang Yoonki incident and similar misconduct cases.

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