The term crisis negotiation is unfamiliar in Korea, and it is no exaggeration to say that it is an unexplored area in our country compared to the abundant research being conducted in various fields on negotiation. Although the practice of hostage and crisis negotiation (HCNn) has existed in some form since the 1970s (originating in the United States), the role of the negotiator is still evolving, and the volume of published academic literature is small compared to other aspects of police work. In the United States, research on crisis/hostage negotiation based on theory and practice has been actively conducted since around the 1970s, and a vast amount of research has been accumulated. In fact, in our country, the number of incidents such as hostage incidents, shooting incidents, and sit-in incidents is overwhelmingly low, so it would be difficult to say that the existence of a negotiator specializing in hostage incidents is an urgent matter. However, crisis negotiation, which is often said to be a technique based on the premise of a hostage incident, has also been applied to crisis management and conflict management.
In the United States, in order to deal with hostage incidents or sit-in incidents, it has been a long time since resolution of the situation through the use of force was moved to resolution of the situation and crisis intervention through the technique of negotiation. In the United States, research on negotiation theory, centered at Harvard University, has evolved from both practical and theoretical aspects. However, in the case of terrorism or hostage incidents, crisis negotiation (hostage negotiation) by law enforcement agencies, such as the police, has come to be used as a powerful tool in Europe and America.
In our country, hostage-taking or arrests due to terrorist acts may be rare, but it is very important to learn in-depth knowledge of crisis negotiation in preparation for emergencies where lifesaving is unavoidable. In addition, Harvard University’s Programs on Negotiation (“PON”) is also beginning to study the use of crisis negotiation techniques in the field of corporate management and business. In this paper, in order to deepen the understanding of the concept of crisis negotiation, which has been developed especially in the United States, we will examine its overall appearance in detail and examine the possibility of introducing it into Korean police practice.
When considering crisis negotiation, it was found that the term Crisis/Hostage negotiation is often used in cases such as sit-in incidents where hostages are held. In addition, PON emphasizes that there are many things to learn from crisis negotiation techniques in business negotiations used in high-pressure situations.
Meanwhile, there are several challenges that need to be reviewed and overcome. BATNA and Fisher’s research are also used in crisis negotiations. However, these are only based on the premise of negotiations in a normal state, and it is not clear whether this can be a powerful and directly applicable tool in crises such as terrorism or hostage incidents, and whether crisis negotiation is a business. How it can be applied in the field will require further consideration from various perspectives. In addition, there is room for review on the distinction between crisis bargaining used in international politics and crisis communication developed in corporate crisis management. In the case of crisis negotiation, which is mainly used in conflict management, the concept of crisis that focuses on the psychological aspects of crisis is given importance.
Meanwhile, crisis communication has become an important tool as a core concept of crisis management, and there is a tendency to identify crisis situations that cause damage to a company’s brand image or reputation as a crisis. Additionally, the term bargaining is often used in negotiations between countries in international disputes. The challenge is how to organize coordination and consistency in this situation in the future. The threat of terrorism or hostage incidents like that of the European and American Empire cannot be denied in our country, as it feels like fire across the river. However, in the chaotic international situation, no matter when and where such an incident occurs, it is essential to prepare in advance and take countermeasures to minimize damage. In addition to the above tasks, we must continue to pursue research on how to utilize the very powerful weapon of negotiation, including crisis negotiation, in crisis management and conflict management, depending on the situation being presented.