Is Using Taxpayer Money for Politician Security Appropriate? ... The VIP Protection Act Recalled After 18 Years [Political Talk]

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The incidents of attacks on Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Bae Hyun-jin, member of the People Power Party, have brought renewed attention to the “VIP Protection Act” proposed by Assemblyman Kim Jung-hoon (then of the Grand National Party) during the 17th National Assembly. The VIP Protection Act centers on the police providing protection to important politicians upon request from political parties. The bill was introduced with the intention of establishing safety measures through public authority to respond to sudden terrorist attacks that can occur anytime and anywhere, which are difficult to anticipate.

On the 29th of last month, Yoon Hee-geun, Commissioner of the National Police Agency, stated right after a meeting on election safety and various terrorism prevention measures held at the National Assembly, “We will create a dedicated task force (TF) between the National Police Agency and each political party to strengthen personal protection,” adding, “The TF will share risk situations on an ongoing basis and prepare accordingly.” Inside and outside the political sphere, there are calls for measures equivalent to the VIP Protection Act proposed 18 years ago, given the short cycle of political terrorism occurrences and the approaching general election.

In 2006, the National Assembly’s Administrative Autonomy Committee (now the Public Administration and Security Committee) discussed the enactment of the “VIP Protection Act,” which included designating presidential candidates as domestic protection targets immediately after their selection at party conventions and having the police provide protection to important politicians upon request from political parties. The bill was proposed during discussions on countermeasures following the attack on former President Park Geun-hye. The bill’s proposal document stated, “In light of the increasingly brutal and sophisticated methods of terrorism, there is a need for major figures to receive more systematic protection.” It also explained that major politicians, including members of the National Assembly, are constantly exposed to threats from fervent and passionate supporters but remain in protection blind spots.

According to Article 2 of the current Police Officer Duty Execution Act, police duties include protection of important figures, but under the National Police Agency’s regulations, “important figures” only include the president and family, the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court, and presidential candidates. While party leaders can receive personal protection upon party request if they feel threatened, this does not apply to ordinary members of the National Assembly or influential party leaders and general election candidates.

Park Geun-hye, then leader of the Grand National Party, visiting Daejeon in 2006 (Photo by Yonhap News)

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However, the bill was not discussed in the standing committee and was shelved. At the time, the police expressed reluctance, citing manpower shortages and concerns about punishing responsible persons in emergencies, stating, “We agree on the necessity but government-level coordination of opinions should come first.”

Experts point out that this law could further strengthen political privileges. They argue that political protection is more appropriately handled through party operating funds or private security expenses.

Professor Kwak Dae-kyung of Dongguk University’s Police and Judicial College said in a phone interview with this publication, “There are already concerns about insufficient police resources, so it is questionable whether it is appropriate to provide public authority protection to thousands of candidates, including party leaders, ahead of the general election.” He added, “It is difficult to clearly define the ‘scope of VIPs.’ If members of the National Assembly require professional protection services, it is preferable to seek private security based on the ‘beneficiary pays principle’ or to arrange close protection within the party.”

Professor Lee Woong-hyuk of Konkuk University’s Department of Police Science also said, “If not handled carefully, it could lead to a reduction in citizens’ fundamental rights,” adding, “It is more realistic to discuss strengthening protection using party operating funds or reallocating some current assembly members’ aides as protection personnel.”

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There is also a view that as long as polarized politics demonizing the opposing party continues, simply deploying protection forces cannot fundamentally prevent political terrorism. It is difficult to correct political terrorism as long as ‘extreme politics’ based on exclusion and hostility spreads through public forums such as the media, YouTube, and social networking services (SNS). Professor Lee Woong-hyuk explained, “Although there are no ‘accomplices’ to the perpetrators of the attacks on Representative Lee or Assemblyman Bae, there is room to interpret the structural problem of extreme political polarization and the media, SNS, and YouTube that spread it as accomplices,” introducing the concept of the ‘Echo Chamber.’

The echo chamber refers to a reverberation room that artificially creates echoes in broadcasting and other media. Based on this, it describes a phenomenon where people with the same political ideology, tendencies, or similar thoughts gather and only see and hear what they want, amplifying and solidifying their own ideas and beliefs. Professor Lee emphasized, “We need to closely examine the groups and amplification mechanisms that intensify political terrorism. Extreme remarks by politicians produce hatred in a biased form, and the media and YouTube amplify this as echo chambers. Without fixing this starting point, strengthening protection afterward is a remedy that is unlikely to solve the problem.”

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