Police Deploy Riot Police and Special Forces at Street Support Event Venues Including Gwanghwamun Square

On the 28th, street cheering squads were celebrating at Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul after South Korea's 2-0 victory against Germany in the 2018 Russia World Cup match. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] The police have decided to deploy riot police and special forces to Gwanghwamun Square in Seoul, where street cheering for the 2022 Qatar World Cup will take place, to ensure safety management.

On the 23rd, the National Police Agency announced that during the World Cup period, on the days when the Korean national team plays, riot police and special forces will be deployed to street cheering venues such as Gwanghwamun Square to thoroughly manage crowds and conduct anti-terrorism safety activities. The police estimated that about 40,000 people will gather nationwide at 12 locations for street cheering on the 24th, when the Korean national team’s first group stage match will be held. Among them, approximately 15,000 people are expected to concentrate at Gwanghwamun Square, where the Seoul Metropolitan Government conditionally approved street cheering the day before.

The police plan to deploy 41 officers and 8 riot police units to Gwanghwamun Square, where the largest crowd is expected. In addition, they will jointly inspect vulnerable points such as subway station entrances, areas around the stage, and slopes with the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the event organizer, the Red Devils. The police special forces will be deployed forward to conduct anti-terrorism safety activities, including explosive detection. Furthermore, the venue will be divided into sections to disperse the crowd, and observation teams will operate to monitor the crowd gathering situation in real time.

After the street cheering ends, the police plan to designate exit routes by area to prepare for safety accidents that may occur due to the temporary movement of large crowds. Riot police units will also be deployed to manage crowd congestion during after-parties in nearby entertainment districts. A National Police Agency official urged, "While wishing for the success of the Republic of Korea national football team, we hope citizens will actively cooperate with maintaining order and control so that street cheering can be held safely."

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