The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s guidelines for dealing with individuals distributing leaflets criticizing the president and the administration are raising controversy.
Since the beginning of the year, leaflets criticizing the current administration and President Park Geun-hye have been distributed in different areas of Seoul.
In the guidelines, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency states that individuals who are caught throwing such leaflets from building tops or spray painting related messages can be detained on the scene.
The grounds for taking offenders into custody are laws regarding building security and damaging assets belonging to others.
With regards to those found handing out leaflets critical of the government and the “VIP,” a term used in the government to refer to the president, the police agency advises officers to request them to accompany them to a police station.
Regarding those who refuse to provide personal information and accompany officers, the Seoul police agency advised officers to detain them for violating the Punishment of Minor Offenses Act.
The document, sent out to police stations in February, also directs officers to try to verify if the offenders are working under orders from others.
The Seoul police agency has also ordered frontline stations to compile data regarding all cases of leaflets criticizing presidential candidates and presidents since 2002.
By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)
