"Police Uniforms for Sale"... Illegal Sales Continue Ahead of 1st Anniversary of Halloween Tragedy

Delayed Dispatch Due to Cosplay Misunderstanding During Past Disaster
Keyword Search on Portal Reveals Multiple Sales Sites

With Halloween just a week away, police uniforms that were problematic during the Itaewon Halloween tragedy are still being sold primarily online.

On the 23rd, posts selling police uniforms appeared on an online secondhand trading platform and various websites ahead of Halloween. Not only on this site but also on dozens of online shopping malls, police uniforms were openly sold as 'Halloween cosplay costumes.'

Products searched with the keyword 'Halloween Police' on Naver, the largest portal site in Korea. [Photo by Naver Shopping]

On Halloween Day, it is common to enjoy the festival dressed as ghosts, spirits, or characters. People wearing police, military, or firefighter uniforms are also frequently seen. However, such costumes can lead to serious problems in emergency situations.

During the Itaewon Halloween tragedy on October 29 last year, many people wore police and firefighter uniforms as costumes on the streets, causing confusion as rescue situations were mistaken for part of the festival. This delayed police access to the scene, resulting in greater damage.

Survivors of last year’s Itaewon tragedy testified that they mistook the police officers and firefighters who arrived at the scene for festival participants and did not make way for them.

Following criticism that police cosplay complicated the handling of the situation, the National Police Agency sent a cooperation letter to Naver in November last year requesting a ban on the online sale of similar police uniforms and equipment. At that time, Naver also cracked down on the distribution of similar police uniforms on its platform.

However, more than 10,000 products appear when searching for 'Halloween police' or 'Halloween uniform cosplay' on portal sites and online shopping malls. Not only police uniforms but also items similar to those used by actual police officers, such as batons, walkie-talkies, and handcuffs, are sold for around 50,000 to 60,000 won.

Non-police officers are prohibited from wearing police uniforms or equipment

The current "Act on the Regulation of Police Uniforms and Police Equipment" stipulates that persons who are not police officers must not wear or use police uniforms or equipment, and that no one is allowed to wear or use police-like equipment or uniforms. Violations of this law may result in imprisonment for up to six months, or a fine, detention, or penalty not exceeding 3 million won. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article. [Photo by Pixabay]

Under current law, possessing or wearing official police uniforms or similar attire is strictly illegal. The current 'Act on the Regulation of Police Uniforms and Police Equipment' stipulates that persons who are not police officers must not wear or use police uniforms or equipment, and no one is allowed to wear or use similar police equipment or uniforms. Violations can result in imprisonment for up to six months or fines, detention, or penalties of up to 3 million won.

Additionally, selling, manufacturing, or renting such items without registration with the National Police Agency can lead to imprisonment for up to one year or fines of up to 10 million won. Even registered businesses must keep and manage ledgers recording buyers’ personal information.

The police also sent a similar letter to the Korea Online Shopping Mall Association in May this year and stated that they are regularly monitoring the situation. A police official said, "We are strengthening monitoring ahead of Halloween and will separately request individual companies to cooperate in banning sales. Since the purpose is to prevent illegal distribution, we mainly take corrective actions based on the law."

However, as the sale of similar uniforms continues to flourish, there are criticisms that police monitoring is merely a show. A police official said, "Wearing similar uniforms can also be considered impersonation of a police officer, which is a crime. We are currently contacting businesses to stop sales, and on Halloween Day, we will strictly crack down on anyone wearing uniforms similar to actual police uniforms."

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