Police will launch a nationwide crackdown on imitation uniforms and equipment ahead of Halloween amid concerns that such items could be used to impersonate officers or disrupt police operations. According to the National Police Agency (NPA) Sunday, the weeklong operation will run from Monday through Nov. 1, targeting the production, sale and distribution of imitation police gear in cooperation with provincial and metropolitan police agencies. Under the current law, civilians who wear or possess official or imitation police uniforms or equipment face up to six months in prison or fines of up to 3 million won ($2,260). The crackdown follows concerns raised after the deadly 2022 Itaewon crowd crush, when people costumed in police uniforms were reportedly mistaken for actual officers, causing confusion and hindering rescue operations. Similarly, Korea also restricts the unauthorized wearing of military uniforms under a separate law, which prohibits civilians from wearing official military attire or uniforms that could make them difficult to distinguish from actual service members. During the