o National Human Rights Commission of Korea hosted the International Conference to Identify New Approaches for Policing Assemblies jointly with the International Amnesty Korea and Security and Public Administration Committee of the National Assembly on 24 March, 2017.
o The conference was hosted to review the way Korean police responds to assemblies and to discuss role of police officers to guarantee peaceful assembly and right to freedom of expression to maximum extent. The conference was expected to serve as an opportunity to consider how to introduce foreign policing methods that are successfully utilized in other countries.
o At session 1 of the conference, current policing methods in Korea was discussed. Director general Anja Bienert of the International Amnesty Netherlands made presentation and discussions among civil society, legislative institutions and NHRCK were carried out regarding Korean policy’s methods to respond to assemblies and international human rights norms.
o At session 2, new policing methods were discussed. Professor Otto Adang from the Netherlands and police officer Roger Ekenstedt, who’s been serving as a dialogue police for 14 years in Sweden, introduced methods of European nations to manage assemblies in peaceful manner.
o NHRCK hopes that the conference serves as an opportunity to strengthen the given mandate of police to realize the right to assemblies of citizens and to seek measures to balance protection of basic rights of citizens and maintenance of public order.
