Lee Hyo-sik is Finance Desk editor at The Korea Times. He manages finance-related stories on macroeconomics, banks, stocks, bonds, crypto etc. He is passionate about covering what's happening in Korea's financial industry and explaining it to both Korean and non-Korean readers. You can reach him at leehs@koreatimes.co.kr. Your insights and feedbacks are always appreciated.
Sound cannon angers protesters
By Lee Hyo-sik
The latest plan for police to use a state-of-the-art anti-protest device, “the sound cannon,” to more effectively disperse demonstrators ahead of the upcoming G20 summit has riled up controversy, spurring strong resistance from civic groups and opposition parties.
Law enforcement authorities insist that the Long Range Acoustic Device (LRAD) has proven safe to use, stressing the need for it and other high-tech devices to deal with violent protesters before and during the G20 summit slated for Nov. 11-12.
But opposition parties and civic groups claim that the police are using increasingly excessive force to clamp down on citizens opposing policies of the Lee Myung-bak administration, urging the government to scrap the plan to use the LRAD and other drastic anti-protest methods.
They also say the police should spend more money to prevent violent crimes rather than purchase such an expensive device, reasoning that the use of excessive force by the police makes protesters more violent.
On Sept. 28, the National Police Agency said it will revise the rules governing the use of police equipment in order to add the controversial acoustic device to the list of useable police gear.
The LRAD, a crowd control and hailing device developed by the U.S.-based LRAD Corp., weighs around 20 kilograms and can emit a high-frequency sound of up to 152 decibels.
If a person is exposed to the sound generated by the device for two to three seconds at 100 meters, he or she will likely suffer from a headache and pain in the eardrums.
LRAD received worldwide attention in November 2005 when a luxury cruise ship employed it to repel pirates who attacked the vessel about 160 kilometers off the coast of Somalia.
The LRAD was also used in Pittsburgh during the G20 summit in September last year and in Toronto in June this year.
“LRAD has proven to be safe during the G20 meeting in Toronto. We think it and other anti-protest devices will play a crucial role in maintaining order before and during the upcoming G20 summit in Seoul,” a police officer said.
He added, to ensure the safe use of the device, the police plan to generate a softer sound between 110 to 120 decibels.
The police also changed the rules to make it easier for riot police to use tear gas, rubber bullets and so-called “multiple launchers” if the situation arises that the lives of police officers and bystanders are threatened.
Previous regulations permitted use only when national security and public safety were at risk.
However, opposition parties and civic organizations are blasting the introduction of the latest anti-protest devices.
“There is no single reason whatsoever for the police to use such a potentially harmful device against law-abiding demonstrators. The number of violent clashes between the police and protesters here has decreased dramatically over the years. Korea is so much different from other countries in which violent conflicts take place frequently,” said Ahn Jin-geol, a manager at the People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy.
He argued that the Lee administration is treating the people as a volatile mob of rioters, becoming more lenient toward harsh suppression by the police.
“In many cases, excessive use of force by the police turned peaceful demonstrations violent. The government should spend taxpayers’ money to prevent and crack down on crimes rather than to purchase high-tech anti-protest devices,” Ahn said.
On Sept. 29, Rep. Jun Byung-hun of the main opposition Democratic Party (DP) said the party strongly opposes the planned introduction of the LRAD, demanding President Lee to stop provoking citizens who do not agree with his policies.
By Lee Hyo-sik
경찰의 음향대포 사용에 시위대 강력 반발
G20 정상 회담을 앞두고 경찰이 ``음향대포’’로 불리는 시위 장비를 사용하기로 결정함에 따라 야당 및 시민 단체로 반발을 불러 일으키고 있다. 경찰은 장거리음향장치는 인간에게 해를 입히지 않으며 과격한 시위대를 효과적으로 진압하기 위해서는 어쩔 수 없다는 입장이다.
그러나 경찰의 최첨단 장비 사용에 대해 야당 및 시민 단체는 이명박 정부와 의견을 달리는 하는 개인 및 단체에게 과도한 공권력 남용이라고 단정 짓고 음향 대포 및 최신 시위 진압 장비를 사용 하지 말 것을 요구하고 있다.
또한 그들은 국민의 혈세로 비싼 시위 진압 장비를 구입하는 대신 강력 범죄 예방 및 범죄자 검거에 더 많은 예산을 투입해야 하며 경찰의 과잉대응이 평화로운 시위대를 과격하게 만든다고 주장하고 있다