With the setting sun, darkness seeps into the harbor city of Incheon. As people unwind after a hectic day of work with bottles of soju, some beer and ample amounts of Korean barbecue in the local popular hangout, things start to get a little rough around a clearly-drunk 50-something man.
Uniformed police officers arrive on the scene and attempt to calm things down, but are welcomed with a slap and violent behavior with rants of “How dare you lecture me when you’re just my son’s age!”
Cops specialized in rescue and security missions at mountains conduct drills to enhance their capabilities in saving people`s lives. (Yonhap)
Officer Lee, 29, has gotten used to it. As he says, it is nothing dramatic, just grueling tedious work of aiding people in their lives.
“I’d say around 80 percent of our cases are somehow related to drinking. When they get drunk, conversation is not an option. Physical abuse occurs frequently,” said Lee, who works at a police substation in Incheon.
“People’s cane” is what people call the police in Korea, used to describe a slew of different roles they are expected to carry out for citizens. But the respect they get often falls far short of the authority the heavy-handed nickname suggests.
Lee explained that many, especially those decades older than him, look down on young policemen like him. He said the frequent disputes over police abuse forces them to arrest citizens in the most nonviolent way possible, making them more vulnerable to violence.
The public’s sensitivity toward police violence is in part linked to police abuses in the past, particularly by the conscribed auxiliary police against pro-democracy protesters in the 1980s. The use of police force at mass rallies continues to be a bitterly divisive issue to this day.
Korean police regulations state that the first shot out of a firearm should always be a blank.
Officers are entitled to charge citizens who “disrupt public duty” for those who physically abuse or issue threats on an officer, but this is not an easy task.
Cops specialized in rescue and security missions at rivers conduct drills to enhance their capabilities in saving people`s lives. (Yonhap)
In order to prove such action has taken place, one must take evidence such as CCTV footage -- which is borderline impossible given the generally spontaneous nature of the event -- while testifying to other officers and the prosecution. According to field officers, such actions are often frowned upon by fellow policemen who think they are making a big deal out of nothing.
But dealing with the drunks is only part of the job description for policemen; it also includes arresting violent criminals, escorting victims to police stations and therapy centers, and rescuing ambitious hikers and swimmers who bite off more than they can chew.
Recently, with President Park Geun-hye urging the passage of the antiterrorist bill in light of the recent deadly Paris attacks, the more serious aspect of the roles of the police has also been highlighted -- to prevent possible terrorism.
Last Saturday, the special weapons and tactics unit of Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency held a public antiterrorism drill. The SWAT members demonstrated entering high-rise buildings, a shootout with the terrorists and using police dogs to thwart a bomb attack.
Korean police’s domain is not confined to domestic affairs either. Officers and explosives detection dogs at Incheon International Airport Police are entrusted with the task of sniffing out risks imported from overseas. The Korean National Police Agency earlier this week also launched a team comprising forensic experts to be dispatched to protect Koreans in the Philippines following rampant crimes committed against its nationals.
But for the majority of the policemen, their work revolves around the everyday lives of citizens, which is no mean feat.
A recent story of a 31-year-old woman -- booked for drunken violence -- who defecated in a police station highlighted the absurd levels that Korean officers have to face each day.
According to a survey by the Police Science Institute, civilians’ complaints were the highest source of stress for officers, at 4.15 out of 5 points. It was well above promotion/disciplinary actions, dealing with colleagues or even dealing with violent criminals, which respectively stood at 3.85, 3.7 and 3.62.
Last week, Korean movie “Veteran” -- about a police officer who get to the bottom of a financial tycoon-related crime -- was selected as the best cop movie of the year.
But Lee said the movie is more a fantasy than reality.
“Beating up criminals to arrest them? Not a chance, not to mention it is nearly impossible to use firearms,” he said. “Police work is not as dramatic or ideal as people think -- it’s just bottom-line hard work.”
By Yoon Min-sik (
minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)
