Policy & Civic Health · Indicator 5
Relationship with law enforcement
What this indicator asks
What is the relationship between Seoul’s nightlife scene and the police? Are some communities treated differently, and how has this changed?
not scored
A total of 74% of survey respondents in Seoul say the police would be helpful if something went wrong.
An expert who runs a queer venue said not everyone feels comfortable going to the police for help, so sometimes the community deals with issues first. The expert described an inspection of the venue by about fifteen people from the police and the district office, and was given the names of other gay bars in the area, which led the expert to ask why only gay bars were named. The expert said:
“I don’t want to understand this issue simply as the police or the government being “bad.” The bigger issue for me is whether the current laws and systems really understand how small cultural spaces and nightlife operate today.”
The expert proposed that people have several routes to ask for help, not only the police.