A Study on the behavior tendencies of Korean Demonstrator and the Korea National Police‘s Demonstration Control Tactics

A Study on the behavior tendencies of Korean Demonstrator and the Korea National Police‘s Demonstration Control Tactics

  Throughout today’s world, there are many assemblies and demonstrations being held for the purpose of personal profits and group goal accomplishment. Police should guarantee legal assembly and demonstration with respect and consideration. However, police also have responsibility to control demonstrators, and if they recognize illegal behavior during demonstration, they should repress it in order to preserve public order and safety. This is one of the important roles of police. In Korea, severe and violent demonstrations are common social phenomena and have been taking place for many years. The Korea National Police has played an important role in controlling violent demonstrations that threatened to destroy the social order in recent decades. A few years ago, Korea National Police announced an epoch-making demonstration control policy: “No bottle grenades, no tear gas.” Even now KNP maintains the “No tear gas” policy. However, demonstrators don’t keep their end of this promise. To make matters worse, police policy regarding control of demonstrations is affected by political influence. And punishment of arrested demonstrators seems to be lenient. Therefore, the phenomena of demonstration in Korea have become more violent, severe and illegal. This paper will discuss the tendency of Korean demonstrators’ behavior, influential factors in the police demonstration policy, including political influence, the phenomena of demonstration in Korea and countermeasures.