Moon rebukes police over bungled response to violent crime

Seoul, Nov 22 (IANS) South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Monday reprimanded police over a bungled response to a violent crime that left one person in a vegetative state, calling for police officials to step up education and training to prevent a recurrence of similar incidents.

The rebuke came a day after Kim Chang-yong, head of the National Police Agency, apologised for the bungled response to the crime that took place on November 15 in Incheon, reports Yonhap News Agency.

"To ensure that this sort of thing does not happen again, President Moon Jae-in ordered police to strengthen education and training," presidential spokesperson Park Kyung-mee, speaking to reporters, quoted Moon as saying.

"The top duty of police is to protect citizens' lives and ensure safety."

On November 15, a male and female police officer were dispatched to a four-storey apartment building in Incheon after receiving a noise complaint about a 48-year-old man on the top floor from a male resident on the third floor.

When the top-floor resident came down wielding a knife and stabbed the third-floor resident's wife, however, the female officer allegedly left the scene without trying to bring the attacker under control.

The male officer, who was outside the building at that time, was also accused of failing to go upstairs in time to help the third-floor resident, who managed to overpower the attacker together with his daughter.

The wife is reported to be brain-dead, and the third-floor resident and his daughter suffered cuts on their hands and faces.