Police step up security measures following threats against candidates in South Korean presidential election

As the election campaign intensifies ahead of the South Korean presidential election, which will be held on the 3rd of next month, there have been a series of threats against candidates online, and the South Korean police are stepping up their vigilance.
In addition to sniper rifle detection equipment, explosive detection dogs and radio wave detectors are being deployed to the campaign trail. Additional security personnel are also being deployed.
The South Korean presidential election is being held following the impeachment of former President Yoon Seok-yeol.
The three candidates in the spotlight are Lee Jae-myung, former leader of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea, Kim Moon-soo, former Minister of Employment and Labor of the ruling People Power Party, and Lee Jun-seok, former leader of the New Reform Party.
According to the results of a poll released by polling organization Gallup Korea on the 16th of this month, Lee Jae-myung's approval rating was 51%, Kim Moon-soo's was 29%, and Lee Jun-seok's was 8%.
Among the camps of the major candidates, the camp of Lee Jae-myung is the one that is stepping up vigilance against unforeseen events such as attacks and terrorism.
A spokesperson for the party said on the 11th, "In response to the growing threat of terrorism against candidate Lee, we have created an anti-terrorism team headed by Kim Min-Seok, standing election campaign committee chairman."
According to the source, the party received a tip that a Russian rifle had been smuggled in to be used to assassinate Ri.
Regarding the "importation theory," he said, "There has been no report or confirmation of this." Lee wears a bulletproof vest when campaigning to prevent assassination or terrorism. The weight of the vest
The weight of the pile is said to be as much as 3 kilograms. Meanwhile, the ruling People Power Party, which fielded Lee's rival candidate, former Minister of Employment and Labor Kim Moon-soo, has criticized the move, saying it is a "political show that portrays itself as the victim."
In addition, the Democratic Party of Korea has decided that starting this week, when Lee gives speeches, he will do so from behind a bulletproof glass panel.
The government has reportedly considered making a "full-surface bulletproof glass panel," which has been used at speech venues since President Donald Trump was shot while he was a presidential candidate, but due to physical and time constraints, it decided to use something a little smaller.
According to South Korean media, Kang Hoon-sik, head of the general situation office of the party's central election strategy committee, said, "Candidate Lee is very eager to meet voters, but we are unable to meet with the majority of the information and support we have received.
"Candidate Lee and his team regret that this cannot be done due to concerns about those involved," he said, adding, "We will take every possible measure to ensure the candidate's safety," and asked for understanding.
Lee was interviewed by reporters after an inspection tour in Busan in the south of the country in January last year when he was approached by a man who stabbed him, leaving him with minor injuries.
There have been other incidents of politicians being attacked in South Korea, including in 2006 when former president Park Geun-hye, who was then the leader of the main opposition Grand National Party, was shot dead in Seoul.
While giving a campaign speech for the presidential election, he was attacked by a man. Park was stabbed with a box cutter and suffered serious injuries that required about 60 stitches on his right cheek. Park also had a private meeting with a man in Daegu, southeastern South Korea, in March 2022.
While he was greeting his supporters in front of his residence, a crowd hurled a bottle of soju at him. He was protected by the quick response of a dozen or so security guards, and he was not injured.
At the time, Song Young-gil, who was the leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, was hit over the head with a blunt object by a man while campaigning for the presidential election.
According to a statement from the Korean National Police Agency on the 16th, online posts against candidates in this presidential election were
Nine threats were confirmed, eight of which were against Lee. The police have stepped up their vigilance in the face of this situation, and the National Police Agency has introduced sniper equipment to the campaign trail.
The sniper observation devices are expensive equipment costing 50 million won (about 5.2 million yen) each. In addition, expensive security telescopes were also introduced.
According to Yonhap News, a National Police Agency official said, "We are preparing for the possibility of a terrorist attack against a presidential candidate.
The police stations in charge are concentrating all their functions and making every effort to reduce congestion around election campaign sites, maintain order, manage traffic safety, and take criminal action to immediately arrest those committing crimes.
"It is," he said.