Unusual Press Conference and Solo Protests... Why On-Site Police Officers Demand 'Amendment of the Police Union Act'

Installation limited to individual offices, no consultation with higher authorities
Restrictions on membership scope, work-related activities also prohibited
"Wrong practices and culture within the police must be corrected"

The National Police Workplace Council Solidarity held a press conference on the morning of the 16th in front of the National Police Agency in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, demanding the revision of the Public Officials Workplace Council Act.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] On the 16th, frontline police officers gathered in front of the National Police Agency building in Migeun-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. The National Police Workplace Council Solidarity, composed of chairpersons of police workplace councils nationwide, began a one-person protest demanding the revision of the "Act on the Establishment and Operation of Public Officials' Workplace Councils" (Public Officials Workplace Council Act) to establish workplace councils on a national scale.

It is extremely rare for active police officers in the strictly hierarchical police society to hold press conferences or one-person protests in front of the National Police Agency. Last September, when the government suddenly decided to introduce the 'unified model autonomous police system,' frontline police officers protested with a press conference in front of the National Police Agency, and in 2018, when Rep. Jang Je-won of the People Power Party commented that "a mad dog needs a club," police officers held a one-person protest in front of his constituency office. However, both cases were critical responses to external factors.

This demand for revision of the Public Officials Workplace Council Act is differentiated from past press conferences and one-person protests in that frontline police officers are actively demanding legal amendments closely related to the field. They judged that the current Public Officials Workplace Council Act has limitations in resolving difficulties experienced on the ground. At the press conference, the National Police Workplace Council Solidarity stated, "The outdated Public Officials Workplace Council Act must be revised to allow the establishment of a nationwide council."

Cho Young-gyun, the representative of the Workplace Council at Songpa Police Station in Seoul, is holding a solo protest demanding the revision of the Public Officials' Workplace Council Act.

In particular, the Solidarity pointed out the problems of the current workplace council, saying, "There is no higher authority to negotiate with, no enforcement power for the results of negotiations, many restrictions on membership scope, and activities during working hours are prohibited, so even basic monthly meetings can only be held after work." They added, "Under the current Workplace Council Act, workplace councils at each agency can only negotiate with their respective heads (city/provincial police chiefs, police station chiefs), and it is illegal for the National Police Agency Commissioner to negotiate with workplace council representatives, so meetings have been refused." They emphasized, "Since the police organization regards the National Police Agency as the higher authority that makes policy decisions, the police workplace council must become a nationwide union organization that can negotiate with the higher authority."

The Solidarity stated, "The police workplace council demands a legal framework that overcomes the limitations of the Public Officials Workplace Council Act and allows negotiation with the policy-making unit, the National Police Agency," adding, "We intend to correct the wrongful practices and culture within the police organization through negotiations with the National Police Agency within the police workplace council and to conduct autonomous activities for improving employees' rights and human rights." Furthermore, they urged, "Through revisions allowing nationwide unions suitable for the times, permitting activities during working hours, and fully allowing membership for workplace councils below the rank of Inspector (Grade 6), the autonomous activities of workplace councils must be maximally guaranteed."

Currently, three bills to revise the Public Officials Workplace Council Act to allow the establishment of nationwide workplace council unions have been proposed in the National Assembly. However, after being discussed once in February at the full meeting of the Administrative and Security Committee, the relevant committee, no further discussions have taken place, and the process remains stalled.

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