Seoul Police on 'Gapho Emergency' Duty to Respond to Presidential Inauguration Ceremony

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has declared a 'Gapho emergency' from 9 a.m. on the 9th, one day before President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol's inauguration ceremony, until 6 p.m. the following day to respond to any possible incidents.

At a press briefing that day, Choi Gwan-ho, Commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, stated, "We are operating the Gapho emergency not only for security duties but also from the perspective of an all-out response to other public safety matters." The Gapho emergency is the highest level among emergency alerts. It is issued during important elections, events, or state visits. When a Gapho emergency is declared, all police officers' annual leave is suspended, and 100% of available police forces are mobilized.

The police plan to designate the National Assembly and its vicinity as a special security zone and conduct security operations on the day of the inauguration. Major roads around the National Assembly will be completely restricted. Commissioner Choi said regarding preparations for the inauguration, "As a national event, it must be perfectly prepared," adding, "We take pride in having done everything perfectly that the police can do." He also said, "We are currently reviewing supplementary measures by anticipating possible situations to the fullest extent," and added, "We are preparing with a focus on minimizing inconvenience to citizens."

Regarding the sit-in protest near the National Assembly by the Coalition for the Enactment of the Anti-Discrimination Act, he explained, "We have been proceeding with procedures to seek maximum cooperation," and "If that is not possible, measures can be taken to ensure safety." However, he noted that such measures do not include eviction. Commissioner Choi said, "Basic rights must be respected, so while respecting those individuals, we will take balanced measures to ensure that the inauguration event is not disrupted and safety is not compromised."

The police will enter the Yongsan era after President-elect Yoon's inauguration, facing the unprecedented task of managing the president's commute. Commissioner Choi said, "That aspect is also linked to minimizing citizen inconvenience," adding, "We have conducted three simulations and are carefully preparing to minimize citizen inconvenience by adjusting the timing and methods of control." He further explained, "The simulation results show that citizen inconvenience is not excessive," and added, "Now, we aim to prepare to the extent that even this inconvenience is alleviated."

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