[Editorial] Riot Police Need Structural Reform

It makes us all sad and heartbroken to learn that former riot police and the parents of current ones are campaigning for the establishment of a culture of peaceful protest. The controversy has changed only on the surface; essentially it is the same as it used to be. At the center of it lies the issue of the country's riot police, and nothing has changed about that.

Everyone agrees that there has to be an end to demonstrations full of poles and steel pipes. What must not be overlooked, however, is how the recent violent demonstrations are not because of any special violent ideology. Most of the protesters are people who are in crisis, laborers and farmers who are having their livelihoods threatened, and therein lies the seriousness of the matter. A more peaceful culture of protest will not come easily as long as some people feel so desperate about the fact no one is listening to their claims that they feel they have to go to extremes.

Before it lays all the blame on violent demonstrations, therefore, the government needs to work hard to protect the powerless in our society through changes in policy. At the same time, there needs to be a complete revamping of the riot police. Every country has police trained to deal with demonstrations, but it would be hard to find one like Korea where it is young men who are made to quell street protests, and all because the state is so selfish that it wants to be able to use an endless supply of "low cost" personnel. It is riot policemen who pay the price.

The government needs to start by quickly putting at least some professional police officers on the front lines, then gradually do away with riot police brigades composed of men serving out their military duty. There needs to be an end to the use of young men as expendable shields against demonstrations.

The Hankyoreh, 9 January 2006.

[Translations by Seoul Selection]