• Korean Security Journal
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• no.49
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• pp.133-154
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• 2016

The Seoul subway system has one of the highest transport shares in the city of Seoul. A high number of passengers means that a high level of crimes of all kinds occur on the city's subway system. As such, Seoul Metro, created the Subway Protective Guards System in 2009, in an effort to enhance safety on the subway. But this innovative new system did not resolve problems. In fact, many citizens came to question the effectiveness of the new system, as it did not yield tangible results. This study seeks to deduce the problems and activation strategy of the Subway Protective Guards System. An in-depth study was conducted by interviewing subway protective guards who were squad leaders with five or more years of relevant work experience. Semi-structured interview analysis was utilized to evaluate their responses. Specifically, their responses were deduced to identify the strengths and weaknesses internal to the system and the opportunities and threats posed by the environment external to the system. This study presents measures to improve the system based on the aforementioned analysis. Measures for improvement focused on the following areas: the adoption of an education system in response to terror; recruitment and the possibility of becoming a permanent employee; obtaining partial judicial powers; improvement of work environment; and intensifying the promotion of the system.

• Korean Security Journal
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• no.50
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• pp.91-115
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• 2017

Recently the characteristics of those who committed serious terrorist crimes are not directly related to the direct command system of a specific terrorist organization (ex. IS) but are influenced by the political propaganda of terrorist organizations online, Terrorist crime under the loose form of the terrorist organization. Therefore, this study suggests ways to improve countermeasures against terrorism in metropolitan subways. Although it is important for the prevention of terrorism in the subway, it is important for the police officers of the subway police and the special police officers of the railway to have a physical limit to take charge of them, and after confirming that improvement measures are necessary, And pointed out the possibility of establishing independent security departments where judicial and administrative control is not feasible to grant police rights. In addition, I pointed out how to improve the safety of subways in the metropolitan area through the recruitment of core job candidates and the identity survey during the subway operation. Furthermore, it was confirmed that a special council on terrorism, which can take into consideration the characteristics of subway terrorism, such as airports and ports, is required to be established in charge of terrorism prevention under the current Anti-Terrorism Act. Finally, it is once again emphasized that the strengthening of the powers of the counterparts to terrorism must inevitably limit the basic rights of the people, so the principle of proportionality must be observed in their activities.