Mass stabbings across South Korea prompt demand to give police more power

SEOUL – South Korea, terrorised by

a series of stabbing sprees

in the past month, is pondering if its police need more liberty in deploying force when confronting a suspect.

Earlier in August, President Yoon Suk-yeol said the country’s “entire police force would be mobilised” to prevent the recurrence of random stabbing attacks.

But police officers on the front lines complain that they are being held liable for use of force even when it is judged to be necessary on the scene.

On the workplace online community called Blind, an anonymous user with a verified officer account wrote in a post last Friday that his colleagues were “losing morale” over comments that police failed to respond assertively or quickly enough to the series of stabbing attacks.

In the post, the user alleged that officers were “severely limited” from using force even under reasonable circumstances, citing past court rulings that made officers pay damages for the way they handled armed suspects.

Within the police force, there have been consistent demands for allowing officers to use more force during encounters with violent suspects, to make arrests and to protect themselves and other citizens, according to an officer in Seoul. “In the wake of the knife attacks, these demands have certainly grown,” he said.

This is not the first time calls have escalated for giving police immunity from using force in violent situations.

In 2019, multiple petitions were filed with the presidential office pleading for increased police use of force after video footage of officers struggling to get hold of a 19-year-old suspect wielding a knife went viral. That same year, an officer was forced to pay damages worth 320 million won (S$330,000) for tasering a mentally disabled woman with knives in her hands. The woman died from injuries from being tasered.

Some argue that police are overwhelmed by the wider-ranging investigative jurisdiction they were tasked with under the former Moon Jae-in administration. Under the reform led by the former Democratic Party of Korea president, the police took on investigative responsibilities that had been held by prosecutors for the past 70 years.

According to a Korean Bar Association survey of 511 attorneys taken in December 2022, 86 per cent said they were experiencing delays in police probes after the police’s investigative jurisdiction widened. Similarly, 84 per cent said criminal cases were pending with the police beyond the appropriate timeframe since the reform.

One police officer in Seoul said that although the overall workload has increased as a result of the reform, this “does not have a direct correlation” with the ability to control the recent stabbings or other violent crimes.

In a press conference on Sunday, Democratic Party floor leader Park Kwang-on characterised the knife attacks as “acts of terrorism”.

“Fear is running rampant in South Korea, once considered one of the safest among developed countries, due to the series of heinous crimes,” he said.

Demand for non-lethal defence equipment rises

The demand for self-defence products in South Korea is on the rise as people turn to such items to arm themselves in case of a random stabbing incident.

The number of transactions involving personal defence equipment saw a 123 per cent increase on e-commerce platform Interpark compared with the same period in 2022, according to the company.

Sales of self-defence items increased by 202 per cent from July 9 to 21, over the same period in 2022.

In the event of a knife threat or attack, said South Korean experts on Sunday, it is crucial to be able to respond effectively. They recommended that people make it a habit to prepare in advance with the proper safety equipment and information about how to respond in the event of an incident.

As insecurity and anxiety are worsening among the public, Baekseok University police department professor Lee Keon-su advised people to carry non-lethal self-defence weapons.

Regardless of age, gender and one’s size or strength, Professor Lee suggested having on hand a legal personal protection device, such as pepper spray, which shoots capsaicin to blind someone temporarily, a gas pistol that sprays toxic gas or shoots gas-filled projectiles, or a three-tiered expandable baton to protect oneself in the event of an attack.

“It’s also important to look at people’s eyes or hands while walking, travelling or taking public transport because you never know what will happen,” he added.

In knife-attack situations, victims should ask for help so that others can call the police, said Prof Lee. If a passer-by witnesses an incident, he said the person should immediately escape to a nearby building, call the police for help, and come out after the police arrive to address the situation.

Prof Lee also suggested that the government launch a real-time crime monitoring system that can inform people about a person carrying a hazardous weapon in their hand, or a dangerous-looking person, so that people can get to safety as quickly as possible.

Professor Kwack Dae-gyung of the College of Police and Criminal Justice at Dongguk University highlighted the basic importance of being aware of one’s surroundings while travelling.

“It’s important for people not to get distracted by their mobile phones or earphones. Everybody on the streets, especially young people and students, is busy looking at their phones and listening to music, but this makes them defenceless and a ‘soft target’ for assailants,” Prof Kwack said.

“People should also take the main paths and streets while walking or travelling as there’s a higher chance of being protected by other pedestrians and police if an attacker wields a knife,” he added.

Prof Kwack also noted that people should be familiar with their routes and the location of exits and entrances and what buildings and shelters are nearby, in case of a random knife attack or other emergency. THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK