Did you know the Uniformed Police Bureau once had a Policewomen section? Here at \uc6d0\ubbf8\uacbd\ucc30\uc11c lets explore the story of women in the Korean police force.
The Uniformed Police Bureau was an important organization. It had four sections. These were the Police Academy Police Services and Inspection Organization and Planning and Policewomen.
In 1946 a women’s division of the police was authorized. It had 500 personnel. Miss Gladys Koh was named head of the Women’s Police Section in May 1946. She had attended Wesleyan College. She had also worked at the University of Michigan.
The division dealt with cases involving women and children. The first step was to separate men and women prisoners. Plans included street patrol. They also planned supervision of amusement places. Jail matrons were also planned. A clinic for diseased women prisoners was planned. Locating lost children was another duty. Many children were separated from their families due to displaced persons and refugees.
A training school was set up in the Seoul National Police Academy. The first class of 55 policewomen graduated on July 12 1946. They trained for one month. The course of study included Korean history language penology criminal investigation fingerprinting and juvenile offenders.
Women police trainees needed to meet requirements. They needed sound physical condition. They needed at least three years of middle school. Height had to be at least 4’7″. Age range was 24 to 45. Married women needed their husband’s permission. Single women and widows were preferred. The second class included fifty students. They came from three provinces. Later the force numbered about 400 policewomen. 50 more were in the railway police force. The latter had their own school.
At first Korean policemen resented the women. They tried to relegate them to cooking. They also tried to make them do menial work. Soon their minds changed. In November 1946 US civilian advisors were sent to the police department. Miss Ida Lippman arrived November 16. Miss Alice E Parrish arrived December 20. They were assigned to the Policewomen’s section.
Mrs Kim Poon Ok became head of the Section. Miss Gladys Koh had resigned. The women’s police station was the old prison. The Japanese used it for political criminals. The buildings were in bad shape. Over 900000 won had to be spent for repairs. The grounds allowed the women to exercise. There was a small dispensary and examination room. Serious cases were sent to the hospital.
A woman captain was in charge of the station. It had departments of investigation patrol administration and staff. They were in charge of prisoners. A procurator visited the station twice a week. Women formally charged were released if evidence was insufficient. The Department of Justice lodged women being tried in West Gate Prison. A prison stay appeared on her record even if innocent. The Women’s Police Station disposed of cases promptly. The number of women detained averaged about twenty-five. Previously it was fifty.
Only Seoul Pusan Inchon and Taegu had separate prisons for women. Elsewhere a cell in the regular jail sufficed. Miss Lippman said more had been accomplished than anticipated. Women police were eager to learn. They liked to ask advice. At first they lacked self-reliance. They gained that quality. Above all they were willing to study and learn.
The story of the Policewomen’s section highlights the evolving role of women. It shows their dedication to justice and public service in a changing society.