A group of police officers patrol a street near Hongik University Station in western Seoul on Saturday, the weekend before Halloween, to check for possible crowd safety risks. (Yonhap)

Police said Monday they are intensively cracking down on the sale and wearing of police officer costumes during the Halloween celebrations.

The police have been strengthening online monitoring to prevent the indiscriminate distribution and use of fake police uniforms and equipment since last Friday, the Korean National Police Agency said, adding the crackdown continues for two weeks before and after Halloween until Nov. 3.

The KNPA said 54 major online retailers and second-hand transaction platforms will come under intensive scrutiny and violators will face an investigation.

The agency last week sent an official letter to the Korea Online Shopping Association asking that vendors abide by the law and searches for terms related to police uniforms be blocked. The police will also conduct on-site crackdowns on those wearing police costumes at major Halloween festival sites.

The current law stipulates that it is illegal for people who are not police officers to wear their uniforms or posses police equipment. If violated, it is punishable by up to six months in prison, or with fines of up to 3 million won ($2,170). The sellers can receive prison sentences of up to one year, or as much as 10 million won in fines.

In 2022, many people were dressed up as police officers during Halloween, resulting in a late police response to the crowd crush in the Itaewon district of Seoul due to people mistaking officers on duty for ordinary citizens. (Yonhap)