Police Chief Candidate: "Excessive Expression and Collective Actions Are Hard to Gain Public Sympathy"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] Yoon Hee-geun, the nominee for Commissioner of the National Police Agency, urged frontline police officers opposing the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's establishment of a 'Police Bureau' on the 11th to refrain from excessive forms of expression or collective actions, stating that such behavior is unlikely to gain public sympathy.

In a letter posted on the police internal network that morning, Yoon acknowledged, "I am well aware of the concerns of my colleagues in the field," but added, "There is significant public concern about a series of expressions that could be perceived as collective actions, and there is growing worry that a security vacuum might occur on the ground." He further stated, "Such actions could also shake the trust in the police, which was hard-earned after incidents that caused great public anxiety."

This is interpreted as expressing concern over some executives of the police workplace council who have opposed the establishment of the Police Bureau within the Ministry of the Interior and Safety by initiating relay head-shaving ceremonies and hunger strikes. Earlier, Min Gwan-gi, president of the Cheongju Heungdeok Police Station workplace council in Chungbuk, along with two others, shaved their heads on the 4th in front of the National Police Agency in Migeun-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. Subsequently, head-shaving ceremonies have continued in front of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety building at the Government Sejong Complex. Min also began a hunger strike on the 5th. Yoon urged, "Please remember the police mission of 'ensuring public safety' and 'upholding the rule of law,'" and emphasized, "Please be especially mindful that expressions of opinion should be refined so as not to cause public concern."

He stated, "I share the understanding that not only should the police's authority and role be exercised under democratic control, but the values of neutrality and accountability of police power must also be respected." He explained that the command-level field visit meetings starting on the 8th of this month are also intended to gather frontline opinions, and that he himself will soon have communication sessions with representatives of workplace councils from police agencies nationwide. Yoon added, "I will continue to listen carefully to field opinions and strive to have them reflected as much as possible in the working-level consultative body with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety," and urged, "I hope you trust the nominee and the command and devote yourselves to your original duties."

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