Police to stop guarding ex-presidents' residences

Police officers guard the residence of former President Chun Doo-hwan in Seoul, Monday. / Yonhap

By Kang Seung-woo

The police chief said, Monday, police officers will stop guarding the private residences of the two former authoritarian-era presidents Chun Doo-hwan and Roh Tae-woo next year amid growing public calls against the duty.

“We plan to reduce police officers guarding their houses by 20 percent this year and withdraw all of them by next year,” National Police Agency Commissioner General Lee Chul-sung said in a press conference.

Until last year, 10 close protection agents and 80 police officers were stationed to guard the former presidents and their residences, respectively, but in January, each number decreased to 60 and 5, according to police.

The decision came as more Koreans complain of taxpayer money spent on taking care of Chun and Roh _ both of whom were key figures in the 1979 military coup and the 1980 Gwangju massacre that led to a democratic movement.

Several civic groups launched an online petition, Thursday, urging the government to stop deploying police officers to protect their residences in Seoul, citing their previous misconduct. Chun and Roh were jailed on charges of treason and briery.

As of Monday, more than 12,000 people signed the petition.

In response, the police chief said their commitment is in accordance with the law.

“The Ministry of Interior and Safety is also sitting on the fence about the issue as they have important information and their personal insecurity may trigger social turmoil,” Lee said.

Lee further hinted that police may stop providing close protection agents, as well.

“However, I believe it would be right to stop offering guard and security services through a revision of the law if public opinion corresponds with a policy decision.”

A relevant law stipulates that a former president can be under the protection of the Presidential Security Service for 15 years after retirement. After that, police take over the duty.

In January, independent lawmaker Son Kum-ju proposed a bill that will strip a former president of his or her rights to receive police protection if he or she commits crimes toppling the nation's foundation.

Chun and Roh had their post-presidential benefits taken away from them due to their imprisonment in 1997, but they can still receive protective service in accordance with an escape clause.

Meanwhile, more than half of Koreans are supportive of the government stopping protecting Chun.

According to a Realmeter survey, released Monday, 63.2 percent of respondents opined that police should stop protecting the general-turned-president against 27.4 percent believing it should continue.

The local pollster interviewed 501 people nationwide, Friday, and it has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.4 percentage points.