Police protest mistreatment during regional summit in South Korea

ISTANBUL

The South Korean police union held a protest Tuesday to highlight the mistreatment of officers during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju.

The National Police Union held the demonstration in front of the National Police Agency headquarters in Seoul, displaying photographs taken by officers during the diplomatic event between Oct. 31 and Nov. 1.

The union verified that the images showed officers resting in corridors and theaters, wrapped in thin blankets, according to media reports.

Around 19,000 officers were deployed daily to secure the event that was attended by leaders from 21 member economies, including US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Despite nearly a year of planning, the union claims many officers were denied basic accommodations and proper meals.

An Yu-shin, the head of the union’s operations support division, told The Korea Herald that officers “were treated worse than prisoners.”

“Some so-called rest areas had glass-walled bathrooms with no privacy, others were moldy or overcrowded. The meals were cold, poorly prepared and in some cases, officers got nothing at all.”

The union argued that pay practices were highly inequitable. Although officers worked extended shifts away from home, their travel and waiting times were not included in official working hours.

The National Police Agency acknowledged the shortcomings in a statement Tuesday, attributing them to the limited capacity of Gyeongju's Bomun Tourist Complex, where most of the lodging was located.

“We rented facilities wherever possible, but given the scale of deployment, not everyone could be accommodated indoors,” it said.

It indicated that the meal plan fell apart after the Gyeongju Gymnasium, initially set to serve as the central dining hall, was repurposed for summit use days before the event.

“We regret that some officers experienced discomfort despite prior efforts,” the statement added, promising a review to prevent a recurrence.​​​​​​​