Will the Autonomous Police System Accelerate... National Police Chief Returns from Jeju Island

Chief Min Gap-ryong Visited Jeju Security Site on 11-12
"Seeking Concrete Measures to Strengthen Public-Private Cooperation"
Autonomous Police Bill Likely to Pass 21st National Assembly
Accelerating Preparation of Detailed Implementation Plans for Prompt Introduction

On the afternoon of the 11th, Min Gap-ryong, Commissioner of the National Police Agency, paid tribute by visiting the memorial bust of the late Moon Hyung-soon, former chief of the Jeju Seongsanpo Police Station, who resisted orders to shoot civilians during the Jeju 4.3 Incident and the Korean War, saving many lives, in front of the Jeju Provincial Police Agency building.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Min Gap-ryong, Commissioner of the National Police Agency, visited the security field in Jeju Island for the first time since his appointment over two days from the 11th to the 12th. This visit has drawn particular attention as Jeju is a region where the 'Autonomous Police,' one of the biggest tasks in police reform, is already in operation. Commissioner Min reportedly examined the operation site of the Jeju Autonomous Police and sought concrete measures for the introduction of the autonomous police system.

According to the police on the 13th, after his visit to Jeju, Commissioner Min instructed the National Police Agency's Autonomous Police Promotion Team to "seek specific measures to strengthen public-private cooperation." This is interpreted as recognizing that active cooperation between the public and private sectors is essential to realize one of the core values of the autonomous police: 'providing security services that approach residents.' A senior police official said, "(Commissioner Min) asked for a multifaceted review on whether measures to strengthen cooperation should be included in the law or if other preparations such as ordinances are necessary."

Furthermore, Commissioner Min is also reported to be devising concrete implementation plans for the future introduction of the autonomous police system through his field visit. The official added, "Although we receive reports on the progress of Jeju Autonomous Police's achievements, it is different from hearing the voices from the field. It seems that after seeing the field, (Commissioner Min) has outlined a plan."

In a situation where the promotion of the autonomous police system has been sluggish, Commissioner Min's actions are interpreted as a strong will to swiftly push forward the introduction of the autonomous police. The autonomous police system, which is a way to decentralize police power that will expand due to investigative authority adjustments, is considered a key task in police reform. It also includes the intention to provide security services tailored to local realities by assigning some duties closely related to residents' lives, such as traffic, security, and domestic violence, to the autonomous police. However, the related bill (the Police Act comprehensive amendment bill) has not been properly discussed in the relevant subcommittee since it was submitted to the National Assembly in March last year due to factors such as the fast-track political situation. As a result, the government's original plan to select pilot operation areas at the end of the same year and fully introduce autonomous police nationwide in 2021 has also been delayed.

With the 20th National Assembly's term nearing its end, the handling of the autonomous police bill has ultimately been passed on to the 21st National Assembly. Since the ruling party won a landslide victory in the general election, it is expected that there will be no difficulty in passing the bill later. The police plan to tighten efforts to prepare detailed implementation plans for prompt introduction. A police official said, "If the autonomous police-related bill is included in the bills to be prioritized by the 21st National Assembly, we expect it could be introduced early within the year."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.