Kim Hyun-bin began his journalism career at Arirang TV from 2012 to 2017, specializing in defense, foreign affairs and the economy. In 2018, he joined The Korea Times, covering society and business, and is currently responsible for embassy affairs.
Questions arising over role of women in police force
A policewoman, second from right, fails to contain a drunken man in front of a bar in Daelim-dong, western Seoul, in this video footage shot on May 13. / Courtesy of Guro Police Station
By Kim Hyun-bin
By Kim Hyun-bin
The government's move to increase the number of female police officers has been called into question, after a short video of a female officer struggling to contain a violent drunk went viral.
Frustrated by her “inability,” a petition was posted on the presidential office's website, calling for an end to the recruitment of female law enforcement officers.
The Moon Jae-in administration aims to increase the proportion of women on the police force to 15 percent by 2022.
“We don't need a police officer that requests help from citizens when they are making an arrest,” the petitioner said. “There should not be sexual discrimination, but there is a physical difference. The female officers should take the same physical tests as men or be placed in a safer and more comfortable position.”
The video which was posted Friday, shows one policeman and a policewoman confronted by two drunken men, but as the conversation heats up, one of the drunks slaps the male officer. The man was immediately knocked to the ground by the policeman but the female officer failed to restrain the other man, who even tried to push the male officer off his friend.
The policewoman radioed for back up as soon as the male officer was assaulted, which raised criticisms that the officer was unable to control the situation.
According to police, the male officer restrained the assailant and the female officer was countering the other man with one hand, while trying to hand the handcuffs to her partner with the other.
Amid escalating criticism of the female officer, the Guro Police Station released a statement along with a full two-minute video of the arrest, Saturday.
“The initial video that went viral was tweaked. The officers carried out a reasonable arrest and their actions were not passive,” it said. “In case of an assault, an officer can request for backup when deemed necessary.”
However, the two minute video also includes audio of the female officer requesting help from a nearby civilian, ordering him to handcuff the suspect.
“Any man come out and help me hurry, hurry,” the female officer was heard saying in the video.
“Should I handcuff him?” a civilian man said.
“Yes, hurry and handcuff him,” the female officer replied in the video.
Many who watched the video said the act could have put the civilian in harm's way and criticized the female officer's inability to contain the situation.
“She cannot contain one drunk, in what way could she arrest a physically fit criminal,” a person criticized online.
Some claimed the female officer shifted her responsibility to the civilian which raises public security concerns.
“The policewoman had a difficult time putting on the handcuffs so she did ask for a male citizen's help,” the police said. “However, there were two traffic patrol officers from the other side of the street who came to her aid. One of the patrol officers put the handcuffs on.”
The incident occurred at a bar in Guro district in Seoul, May 13. The two heavily drunk Chinese-Korean suspects, one in his 50s and the other in his 40s, had been arrested for unlawful interference with an officer in the execution of their duty.