Police Apply 'Great Innovation TF' Measures to Year-End and New Year Mass Gatherings (Comprehensive)

Midterm Activity Report at the 5th Meeting of the Police Great Innovation TF

Seodaemun-gu Police Agency in Seoul. Photo by Mun Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] On the 15th, the National Police Agency held the 5th "Police Grand Innovation Task Force (TF) General Meeting" at the Seodaemun-gu office in Seoul, chaired by co-chairs Changwon Lee, President of Hansung University, and Hyunbae Jo, former Commissioner of the Korea Coast Guard, and decided to apply the discussed measures to mass gatherings during the year-end and New Year holidays to ensure safety.

The National Police Agency stated that the TF reviewed the progress of 20 innovation tasks discussed in the 1st to 4th meetings and examined field feedback. The TF also plans to report the police grand innovation tasks included in the interim results to the "Intergovernmental National Safety System Reform TF," the agency added.

At the meeting, Co-chairman Lee Changwon urged proactive police-level responses to prevent tragedies like the Itaewon disaster from recurring. The committee members also agreed to focus on preventing risks at mass gatherings during the year-end and New Year holidays by applying the 10 immediate implementation tasks discussed in the TF to the field.

So far, the TF has identified 10 tasks requiring rapid implementation to secure public safety, such as creating a crowd management manual, operating a multipurpose duty mobile unit, and improving the reporting system for important and urgent situations, which were applied to the field last month. For 10 other innovation tasks requiring review of laws and systems to strengthen police response capabilities, specific implementation plans have been under consideration.

After today's meeting, the TF plans to check the field application of the grand innovation tasks and support the intergovernmental TF in preparing countermeasures. Reviews of additional innovation proposals will also continue. Furthermore, if the cause of the disaster is identified through future investigation results, related content will be supplemented to create a "Comprehensive Activity Report" next year.

Chairman Lee said, "The Police Grand Innovation TF 'Final Activity Report' is not an internal police report but a report dedicated to the public," and urged, "Please continue efforts to refine and supplement the innovation plans more precisely and validly so that police reform that resonates with the public can be led."

The TF was formed on the 9th of last month to prevent recurrence of similar accidents after the Itaewon disaster. It consists of three teams with a total of 125 police officers and civilian experts participating. Under the co-chairs' leadership, a general meeting involving TF members (internal and external) and on-site police advisory groups has been held once a week.

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