‘Family Month’ Feels Like a Distant Story... The Hectic May 2022 for Seoul Police

Yoon Inauguration, Biden's Visit to Korea, Local Elections
Three 'Gapho Emergencies' in One Month
Social Distancing Lifted → 112 Emergency Calls Surge

On the 30th, as a high alert was issued due to the visit of U.S. President Donald Trump to Korea, police security was strengthened near the Sejongno intersection in Jongno-gu, Seoul, including the installation of metal fences. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] In May, the month of family, frontline police officers in Seoul experienced an unusually busy month. From the inauguration of the new president to the local elections, the highest emergency alert, Gapho Emergency, was issued three times within a month.

The National Police Agency announced that from 6 a.m. on June 1, the day of the local elections, until the completion of vote counting, the highest security alert level, Gapho Emergency, will be issued. This is to respond with the highest security posture by deploying about 70,000 police officers for the security and safety of the local elections.

This is the third time Gapho Emergency has been issued in the past month. Gapho Emergency is declared during important elections, events, or state visits, suspending all police officers’ annual leave and mobilizing 100% of available police forces.

The first Gapho Emergency was issued on the 9th, a day before President Yoon Seok-yeol’s inauguration. From 9 a.m. on the 9th until 6 p.m. on the inauguration day, the National Assembly and surrounding areas were designated as special security zones and guarded.

Then, on the 20th, during U.S. President Joe Biden’s visit to Korea, Gapho Emergency was again declared. The police provided the highest level of state guest security, A-level, for President Biden and significantly strengthened security at related facilities such as the U.S. Embassy in Korea. During President Biden’s visit, all frontline police officers at the chief level reported to work and remained on emergency standby duty.

In particular, the staff of Dongjak Police Station in Seoul, adjacent to the National Cemetery, were overwhelmed by multiple National Cemetery memorial events. On the 9th, former President Moon Jae-in and his wife visited, followed by President Yoon and his wife on the 10th, and President Biden on the 21st. For Dongjak Police Station, the National Cemetery events were the most significant matters, causing intense security efforts. Since next month is the “Month of Patriots and Veterans,” rest is still a distant story for Dongjak staff.

The situation is similar at other frontline police stations in Seoul. Ahead of the local elections, various investigations into election-related offenses and frequent on-site inspections to prevent accidents at campaign events have been conducted regularly. Especially, the days of investigation chiefs in charge of local election-related work at frontline stations are very short. One investigation chief of Investigation Division 2 at a frontline station said, “As soon as I arrive in the morning, I handle a backlog of document approvals, and in the afternoon, I go out to the field repeatedly,” adding, “Once the local elections are over, full-scale investigations into election offenses will begin, so it seems it will be hectic for a while.”

Coinciding with the lifting of social distancing measures related to COVID-19, incidents and accidents have not ceased in various places. In Seoul, the number of 112 emergency calls surged from an average of 9,845 per day during the six months before the lifting of distancing to 11,346 after. This is analyzed to be due to an increase in drinking-related reports as gatherings such as company dinners have increased. From the police perspective, it was truly a turbulent May.

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