Candidate Lee Jae-myung to Receive Prime Minister-Level Security... About 30 Police Officers to Be Deployed

Candidate Lee's Security Team Composed of COVID-19 Vaccinated Members
Security Timing Confirmed Considering Resignation Timing from Gyeonggi Governor Position

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] Lee Jae-myung, who was elected as the Democratic Party of Korea's presidential candidate, will receive 'Prime Minister-level security' going forward.

According to the National Police Agency on the 10th, a total of about 30 police personnel will be assigned to candidate Lee in the future. Initially, about 10 officers will be deployed, and around 20 more will be added starting from the candidate registration with the Central Election Commission in February next year.

Security for major party presidential candidates is provided at the highest police level called 'Eulho,' which is the same level applied to key figures such as the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the National Assembly, and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. Security for the President and other 'Gapho' level figures is handled by the Security Office.

The security team will preemptively arrive at venues where candidate Lee attends events to inspect for potential risks and will accompany him during external schedules.

Considering the COVID-19 situation, the team is composed of personnel who have completed 14 days after their second vaccine dose.

However, the specific timing for the commencement of security will be finalized through consultations between the campaign and the police, taking into account the timing of candidate Lee's resignation from the Gyeonggi Province governor position.

While it is not legally impossible for the police to provide security to a sitting governor who is a presidential candidate, it is unprecedented and is expected to consider the overlap with Gyeonggi Province's own personnel.

Until now, when candidate Lee handled external schedules as governor, a 2 to 3-person Gyeonggi Province escort team also took on security duties.

A campaign official also stated in a phone call, "Before resignation, he will carry out provincial administration schedules normally, so a large security force may not be necessary," and added, "Once the resignation timing is finalized, we will discuss and establish a (security) plan."

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