Police Launch "Integrated Situation Room" Ahead of June 3 Local Elections... 24-Hour Operation

Emergency Duty System Implemented from the Start of the Campaign

Full Efforts on Campaign Site Safety and Vote-Counting Security

The police have entered a nationwide election security posture ahead of the June 3 local elections. They are strengthening responses throughout the entire election process, from managing safety at campaign sites to transporting ballot boxes.

The National Police Agency announced on May 20 that it would operate an "Integrated Election Security Situation Room" in preparation for the 9th nationwide simultaneous local elections. The situation room will be established at the National Police Agency, 18 provincial police agencies, and 261 police stations across the country, operating 24 hours a day from May 20, the day before the start of the official campaign period, until the end of ballot counting. The situation room will oversee, in real time, all election-related security and safety activities, including ▲protection of key individuals ▲securing safety at campaign sites ▲security at polling and counting stations ▲transport of ballot boxes.

Seodaemun-gu Police Agency, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

From May 21, when the official campaign begins, the police will declare a "heightened alert" nationwide. During the early voting period, a "Byungho Emergency" will be issued, and from election day until the end of ballot counting, the highest emergency readiness level, "Gapho Emergency," will be in effect. These refer, respectively, to: a preemptive emergency work order issued just before full-scale emergency status is declared; an alert in which 30% of available personnel are assigned to emergency duty; and an alert where 100% of police personnel are mobilized.

Protection efforts for candidates and other key figures will also be reinforced. A "Candidate Safety Team" will be deployed at every street campaign site. In addition, personal protection teams dedicated to party leaders, which previously operated only during the election period, have been activated early. From March 26 to May 8, practical training sessions were conducted for about 3,000 police officers responsible for personal protection at provincial and district police agencies nationwide. This training focused on enhancing on-site response capabilities.

The police will also work to prevent safety accidents caused by dense crowds and to prevent clashes between supporters. Patrol systems centered on local police will be established at polling stations and early voting stations, and emergency contact networks with relevant agencies will be maintained. At vote-counting centers, the chief of the responsible police station will provide on-site command to respond to unforeseen situations such as ballot counting disruptions. During the transport of ballot boxes, police officers will be assigned to each route to respond to theft or interference with transport.

Yu Jaeseong, acting commissioner of the National Police Agency, stated, "The police's role is to establish a safe and fair election environment so that the public can vote with peace of mind," adding, "We will carry out flawless safety activities throughout the entire election process and respond strictly to any acts of harm against candidates."

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