Both Key Issues Are 'Discord'... Will Police Reform Be Half-Done?

Autonomous Police, Largely the Same Framework Now
Inside Police: "Number of Bosses Increased to Three"...Local Governments Also Oppose
On Presidential Decree for Investigation Authority Adjustment
Police Criticize 14 Issues Point by Point

Kim Tae-nyeon, floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is delivering opening remarks at the 'Party-Government-Civil Service Council for Power Institution Reform for the People' held at the National Assembly on July 30. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] The 'police reform' initiative, which is being promoted as a national agenda, has reached a crossroads. While the recently proposed autonomous police introduction bill in the National Assembly has been criticized as a half-hearted autonomous police system, there are also voices of opposition from the National Police Agency regarding the enforcement decree on the adjustment of investigative authority between the prosecution and the police. This has raised concerns that police reform might be going off track.

According to the Autonomous Police Act (amendments to the Police Act and Police Officers Act) proposed by Kim Young-bae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, on the 4th of this month, there is essentially no significant difference from the current national police system. Command authority is divided among the Commissioner General of the National Police Agency, the city/provincial autonomous police committee, and the head of the National Investigation Headquarters depending on the duties. Within the police, there have been complaints such as "the number of bosses has just increased to three" and "it looks like the national police are taking on local government tasks."

Local governments that had been enthusiastically promoting autonomous police have also expressed disappointment. An official from a metropolitan local government said, "We had plans for everything from pilot operation to final implementation based on a dual system model," and questioned, "Whether the autonomous police, which is no different from the national police, truly embodies the meaning of autonomy is doubtful." In particular, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, which has operated a separate autonomous police force for 15 years, strongly opposed the bill. If the bill is enacted, Jeju's autonomous police will be abolished. Jeju Governor Won Hee-ryong sharply criticized the revised autonomous police introduction bill, saying it "could lead to results that go against the safety and order maintenance of local residents' daily lives."

There were also numerous issues raised within the police regarding the enforcement decree on the adjustment of investigative authority (regulations on mutual cooperation between prosecutors and judicial police officers and general investigative procedures, and regulations on the scope of crimes for which prosecutors can initiate investigations), another pillar of police reform. The National Police Agency unusually issued a statement pointing out 14 problems with the enforcement decree. The agency stated, "We will continue efforts to revise it so that the purpose of the amended law can be properly implemented during the legislative notice period."

There has been much speculation about the sudden revision of police reform, which the current administration has promoted throughout its three-year term, in a direction that regresses from the original plan. It is also observed that while the Blue House and the government focused on a power struggle with the prosecution, police reform was pushed to the sidelines.

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