Lee Munsu, Chief of Gyeonggi Northern Police Agency, Made Abusive Remarks to an Employee with Hair Loss, Saying "Disgusting, Don't Talk Back"

Lee Munsu, Chief of Gyeonggi Northern Provincial Police Agency [Provided by Gyeonggi Northern Provincial Police Agency]

[Asia Economy Reporter Shinwon Yoon] Lee Munsu, Chief of the Northern Gyeonggi Police Agency, is facing controversy for making offensive remarks such as "disgusting" to an employee suffering from hair loss.

Recently, a post appeared on the police internal bulletin board claiming that Chief Lee made offensive remarks to Sergeant A (41), who shaved his head due to hair loss.

According to the post, on the 15th during a meeting with field officers, Chief Lee asked Sergeant A, "Why did you shave your head bald?" Sergeant A replied, "I am 41 years old this year, and since my hair loss progressed relatively quickly, I shaved my head to feel refreshed."

In response, Chief Lee said, "You shouldn't say you shaved your head to feel refreshed; it's disgusting. Police officers who serve the public should maintain a neat appearance, but going around shaving your head as you please gives others a very intimidating and disgusting impression," adding, "Don't talk back. If people find it disgusting, then it is disgusting. You need to fix it."

Sergeant A expressed, "This is an abuse of power stemming from a clear hierarchical difference. Even if it were a superior of a higher rank, could they have used expressions like 'baldy' or 'disgusting' upon first meeting?" He added, "My workplace superior immediately pointed out my appearance and called it 'disgusting,' which caused me severe feelings of loss and self-loathing."

He further demanded, "I hope Chief Lee sincerely apologizes to me using his real name."

In response to the controversy, Chief Lee posted on the internal bulletin board, "As the chief, I meant to say that field officers who interact with the public should maintain a neat appearance, and shaving the head bald can give residents a sense of intimidation and disgust," clarifying, "I did not intend to belittle Sergeant A's appearance."

He also added, "I deeply apologize for the unintended misunderstanding during the conversation that caused emotional hurt to Sergeant A."

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