hankyoreh

Leaders of regional police associations have their heads shaved outside the National Police Agency’s headquarters on July 4 as they hold up a sign calling for the repeal of a Ministry of Interior and Safety policy that would establish a police affairs bureau. (Kim Myoung-jin/The Hankyoreh)

Four police officers dressed in blue-green work uniforms shaved their heads at 10 am Monday in front of the National Police Agency in Seoul’s Seodaemun District.

The police officers sat side by side as their shorn hair cascaded down the white cloths draped over them, which bore the message, “Withdraw the MOIS [Ministry of the Interior Safety] police bureau; Guarantee police neutrality.” It was the first time in the South Korean police’s 77-year history that police officers had their heads shaved en masse as a gesture of protest.

“What pains me is that I didn’t even realize things would reach the point where senior police with just a year or two left [before retirement] are shaving their heads like this,” said Min Gwan-gi, director of the workplace council for the Heungdeok Police Station in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, after the protest.

“Three police officers per day will be shaving their heads in protest until the MOIS withdraws its plan to create a new police bureau,” he added.

Min proceeded to read out an appeal to President Yoon Suk-yeol.

“The mere fact that the Minister of the Interior and Safety will be directly controlling the police raises serious concerns that police will begin taking their cues from the administration, and that the administration’s influence will extend to individual investigations,” he warned.

“To avoid repeating the painful experiences of history, I earnestly entreat the president to withdraw the policy for the creation of a police bureau,” he continued.

Among those shaving their heads were workplace association chiefs Ju Dong-hui from Yangsan Police Station in South Gyeongsang Province, Yu Hui-yeol from Goyang Police Station in Gyeonggi Province, and Han Wang-gwi from Gunsan Police Station in North Jeolla Province.

Leaders of regional police associations call for the repeal of a Ministry of Interior and Safety policy that would establish a police affairs bureau outside the National Police Agency’s headquarters on July 4. (Kim Myoung-jin/The Hankyoreh)

The police plan to continue their fight with head-shaving protests and fasts through a relay approach, with three officers each from police station workplace associations taking part daily in front of the MOIS complex in Sejong beginning Tuesday.

“Internally, the candidate for the new police commissioner is seen as someone who obviously wants to look good to the administration,” Ju said.

“The police leadership needs to show a clear stance on the creation of a police bureau in the MOIS, which police officers on the ground are opposed to,” he added.

On June 25, Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min announced plans to pursue the creation of a police bureau as an organization for supporting police in the MOIS, along with the enactment of rules for the National Police Agency commissioner general’s exercise of command authority and introduction of more robust personnel recommendation powers.

By Park Su-ji, staff reporter

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