People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy expresses "Concerns over Abuse of Public Authority" as Police Duty Execution Act Passes Standing Committee

Police Democratic Workplace Council "Weak Police Authority, Needs Improvement"

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] The People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD) argued that the amendment to the Police Duty Execution Act (Police Duty Act amendment), which reduces criminal liability for negligence occurring during the performance of duties, passed by the National Assembly's standing committee, could lead to abuse of public authority.

On the afternoon of the 2nd, PSPD called for a halt to the processing of the Police Duty Act amendment, stating, "The areas under police jurisdiction, from initial responses such as patrols to managing assemblies and demonstrations, are broad and closely related to citizens' daily lives," adding, "It can be interpreted that not only the use of physical force to protect human life and body but also the entire 'performance of police duties' could be subject to reduced criminal liability."

PSPD viewed that the content of the Police Duty Act amendment, which was approved by the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee on the 29th of last month, was not specific enough and could lead to arbitrary judgments by the police. They pointed out that the scope of duties eligible for criminal liability reduction, described as "urgent situations where a crime is about to be committed or is being committed," could be interpreted broadly.

They further argued, "Since police duty execution involves physical force and can lead to human rights violations if excessive, the approach should be to gradually reduce risks by minimizing the necessity and danger of physical force itself."

In response, the Police Democratic Labor Council rebutted, stating, "The biggest reason police officers could not actively suppress criminals was the lack of individual officers' sense of mission, but the 'weak police public authority' also exacerbated the situation," adding, "The public wants a reliable police force based on strong public authority, and the Police Duty Execution Act amendment was submitted to the National Assembly as a means to that end."

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