Members of the National Police Workplace Council (police council), who oppose plans to expand police rotation assignments, carried out a second group head-shaving protest.
The Joint Struggle Committee for Improving Police Working Conditions, including opposition to forced rotation assignments (struggle committee), under the police council, which functions like a police union, held the "2nd rally of the joint struggle committee for improving police working conditions, including opposition to forced rotation assignments" on Aug. 10 in front of the main gate of the Korean National Police Agency in Seodaemun District, Seoul.
On the day, 10 people, including Vice Chairperson Na Eun-ho (Yeongcheon, North Gyeongsang), had their heads shaved on site. At the launch event on the 3rd, 14 people, including Police Council Chairperson Min Gwan-gi, shaved their heads.
The struggle committee said it will continue the head-shaving protest once a week until the Korean National Police Agency brings a proper agreement for talks. A struggle committee official said, "If the Korean National Police Agency cannot take responsibility, the next event will be held in front of the presidential office."
In an appeal to the public that day, the struggle committee said, "We are well aware that, due to recent unfortunate incidents, the public's disappointment and criticism toward the police are very high," but added, "Measures pursued in the name of reform must not stray from the essence of the problem or be carried out in a way that disadvantages all 140,000 frontline police officers."
The struggle committee said rotation assignments are reasonable for senior officers at the rank of inspector and above, who exercise substantive approval and personnel authority, but stressed that the situation is entirely different for ranks at captain and below, who handle frontline administrative work.
The struggle committee said, "For ranks at captain and below, rotation assignments amount to a collective punishment with the character of guilt by association, treating the whole as a potential misconduct risk group because of the wrongdoing of a few." It added, "While decisively severing the collusive ties of senior ranks, the approach must be rational so that diligent lower-ranking officers are not unfairly saddled with responsibility," and "We earnestly ask that, even as wrongs are corrected, the majority of officers receive rightful trust and warm encouragement so they can work with pride."