Heroes in movies? Martial arts practitioners face criminals with weapons in reality = Korean report

Recently, the Netflix movie "Martial Arts Officer" has been gaining popularity, but it has been revealed that the actual working conditions of martial arts officers are extremely poor.
The working conditions of these officers, who monitor people 24 hours a day, are not very different from those depicted in the film. According to the Ministry of Justice, 170 martial arts practitioners across the country are managing 4,270 people under surveillance.
In net calculation, each person is responsible for 25 people, but in some areas, they may have to manage up to 31 people. They work 24 hours a day in three shifts and are prepared for sudden abnormal behavior by the subjects.
"The target threatened to commit suicide, broke a liquor bottle and jumped on us," said Lim Seong-taek, a martial arts practitioner with 11 years of experience who was interviewed.
Kim Dong-Wook, a martial arts practitioner, appeared as a witness at the Ministry of Justice's parliamentary audit on the 8th.
"It would be difficult to defend yourself if the target attacked you with a brick," he said. "If they used direct force, it could lead to a lawsuit or prosecution, so careful action is required."
Despite being exposed to such dangerous conditions, the only protective equipment provided to martial arts officials is a protective suit and a pair of gloves.
Furthermore, it has been pointed out that the legal basis for the performance of duties by martial arts practitioners has not been established. There are no provisions in the "Judicial Police Duties Act" or the "Probation Act" that provide for the performance of duties by martial arts practitioners.
There is no legal guarantee for the martial arts officers, and they are restricted in actively carrying out their duties. Martial arts officers perform the same duties as probation officers, who are civil servants, but they are not eligible for danger allowances and special work allowances.
The base salary for martial arts practitioners with less than two years of experience is only 2.3 million won (US$2,400), and even with holiday and nighttime allowances, it comes to just 2.9 million won (US$3,120).
There is no system for promotion or transfer, and there is a lack of incentives for long-term employment.
In response, he said, "When I was assigned 10 years ago, I was paid about 2.1 million won (about 230,000 yen) after tax, but now I only get 2.8 million to 2.9 million won (about 307,000 to 318,000 yen)."
"They say that headquarters is making efforts to improve working conditions, but most of the reason people quit their jobs as practical officers is the salary system," he said.
In the National Assembly, both ruling and opposition parties are in agreement about the need to improve the treatment of martial arts practitioners.
"Compared to the difficulties the parties face, the compensation and government budget are not enough," said Minister of Justice Park Seong-je.
While expressing his intention to make improvements, saying, "There is a lack of adequate compensation," he added, "There are various public service positions within the Ministry of Justice, and this needs to be taken into consideration when improving working conditions."