Middle and high school students have joined an after-school boxing program that the city hopes will help them gain confidence and stay away from crime.
Middle and high school students participate in the Incheon Michuhol Police Station’s Pol-in-Sports project.
INCHEON BOXING ASSOCIATION
Nine middle and high school students filled a boxing gym on Thursday, practicing jabs, footwork and other basics. But while the drills were ordinary, this training session was not: This was part of a police-led program aimed at helping at-risk youth.
The students have trained twice a week since July 12 at the gym inside Incheon Munhak Stadium in Michuhol District under Kim Won-chan, head coach of the Incheon city hall boxing team, and his coaching staff.
Most of the participants have limited parental oversight because of financial hardship or live in child welfare facilities. Some have experienced school violence or abuse, while others have been exposed to illegal online gambling.
Without adequate support at home, many had spent their free time adrift while their peers attended private academies or pursued hobbies.
Prolonged periods without supervision increase their risk of becoming involved in crime. To address that risk, the Incheon Michuhol Police Station launched the Pol-in-Sports project together with Lotte Department Store’s Incheon branch and the Incheon Boxing Association.
School police officers identify young people who need support, and the department store funds the program.
Kim and his coaching staff aim to help participants build resilience and concentration through boxing, and in doing so, give them the confidence to face challenges later in life.
“We are trying to help the children find their own paths through sports, and to make up for what they were unable to learn at home,” Kim said. “This goes beyond simple physical training and includes moral education.”
The students have grown more confident since joining the program. Three of the nine now come to the gym to practice almost daily, even on days without scheduled training.
“I had nothing to do after school or on weekends, but learning boxing is so much fun,” said a 15-year-old participant surnamed Hwang. “The head coach and the other coaches also teach us well.”
A participant in the Incheon Michuhol Police Station’s Pol-in-Sports project learns how to throw a jab from a coach.
BYUN MIN-CHUL
Kim keeps a close eye on the students to ensure the discipline they’ve built through the demanding training does not go to waste. He repeatedly stresses patience so that the students do not treat boxing as a fighting technique.
“We constantly remind them not to use boxing for school violence or crime,” Kim said. “They cannot compete in community sports tournaments if they have a record of school violence. The children keep this in mind as they train.”
Police continue to monitor the students to help them adjust to school life while they’re in the program. If the project proves successful, police plan to expand it to more sports and bring in more participants.
“Many young people from difficult family backgrounds wander without getting the help they need and end up exposed to crime,” said Kim Myeon-jung, head of the Incheon Michuhol Police Station’s women and juvenile affairs division. “We will continue supporting them so they can grow into healthy members of society.”
BY BYUN MIN-CHUL [kim.hayoon1@joongang.co.kr]
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.