By Bae Ji-sook
Staff Reporter
A riot policeman who requested a transfer to the army has been put behind bars for neglect of duty.
Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's disciplinary division ordered the draftee policeman, identified as Lee, to serve 15 days in a police prison, Tuesday. Police said the punishment had nothing to do with Lee's transfer request.
``He refused to fulfill his duty in policing the rallies, which is his job at the moment. It was dereliction of duty and is subject to punishment,'' a National Police Agency official said.
Earlier this month, Lee expressed his frustration and fatigue over policing the candlelit demonstrations, and also claimed it was ``against his conscience.'' He said that he was ordered to filter out negative online articles on the police at the request of his superior and so filed a petition to the Anti-Corruption & Civil Rights Commission to seek a transfer.
Civic group members allege his punishment was because of the transfer request. Yeom Hyeong-guk of the Lawyers for a Democratic Society said, ``Lee must be a headache for the authorities. They would love to isolate him from the media or keep him silent.''
Lee has reportedly been on a hunger strike since last Tuesday.
In Korea, draftees are randomly picked to serve as riot policemen and are technically under the control of the police. Lee has served 16 months already with the police. On Wednesday the Ministry of National Defense said it had refused to accept him in the army as there was no relevant transfer law.