Seoul, South Korea – As the Constitutional Court is expected to deliver its ruling on President Yoon Suk-yeol's impeachment trial next week, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has convened a meeting of riot police unit commanders to establish an emergency response system.
At 4:30 PM on the 5th, riot police unit commanders from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and about ten police stations gathered at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency to discuss safety plans in preparation for large-scale rallies that may occur on the day of President Yoon's impeachment ruling.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency plans to establish countermeasures for various scenarios, including the possibility of spontaneous violence by crowds without specific leading forces, similar to the collective illegal acts that occurred at the Seoul Western District Court during the issuance of President Yoon's arrest warrant. They will also prepare safety measures to prevent safety accidents that may occur when crowds gather in narrow spaces such as underground passages.
The agency has instructed riot police units and security forces, which are primarily responsible for responding to rallies and demonstrations, to strengthen equipment inspections and training. In fact, police stations in the field, such as the Yeongdeungpo Police Station in Seoul, have conducted unit-level riot police training in preparation for the police's 'Class A Emergency Alert' on the day of the impeachment ruling.
Plans to support the lodging and meals of police personnel dispatched from the metropolitan area, including Gyeonggi and Incheon, are also being reviewed. The Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency has instructed its riot police personnel to take care of their health and boost morale, while also preparing for the mobilization of both standing units and non-standing units at individual police stations. The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency also held a meeting at around 10 AM on the same day to discuss preparations for the impeachment ruling.
Earlier, on the 4th, Acting Commissioner General of the National Police Agency Lee Ho-young stated, "We have analyzed many implications by looking back at past impeachment rallies," and "We are establishing plans with the worst-case scenario in mind, as there are limitations to police resources." Acting Commissioner General Lee mentioned the possibility of self-immolation, physical clashes, and collective violence, stating, "We are considering all situations, including intrusion into the Constitutional Court (immediately after the ruling)," and suggested the possibility of using police batons or capsaicin spray under the discretion of on-site commanders if necessary, signaling a strong response.
The possibility of issuing a 'Class A Emergency Alert,' as proposed by Acting Commissioner General of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Park Hyun-soo, is also increasing. Acting Commissioner General Park stated, "Although the decision has not yet been made, it is being positively reviewed, and if there are limitations to manpower mobilization, we will have to issue a Class A Emergency Alert and mobilize all available resources."
The Class A Emergency Alert is the highest level of police emergency duty, issued when public order is extremely chaotic due to a state of emergency before martial law is declared, or due to large-scale collective incidents or terrorist attacks, or when police force mobilization is necessary due to a surge in public security demand before or after international events or anniversaries. When a Class A Emergency Alert is issued, leave is suspended, and 100% of available police force can be mobilized, and commanders and staff must be stationed in offices or on-site.
The final pleading date for President Yoon's impeachment trial was on the 25th of last month, and the ruling is expected to be delivered around the middle of this month. In the past, former President Roh Moo-hyun, who went through the impeachment trial process, received the ruling two weeks after the final pleading, and former President Park Geun-hye received it 11 days later.
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