"'Unification of Autonomous Police' Sudden Change Criticized as Expected... Pilot Implementation and Parliamentary Oversight Needed"

Assemblyman Kim Young-bae, Council of Governors, and National Police Agency
Hold 'National Assembly Forum to Discuss the Introduction of the Autonomous Police System'

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] As the autonomous police system, promoted as a reform measure for power institutions, was suddenly changed to a 'unified model' that only separates autonomous police affairs, sparking heated controversy, opinions have been raised that changes are needed in the command system and affairs of the autonomous police.

On the afternoon of the 3rd, Yang Young-cheol, President of the Korea Local Autonomy Police Policy Research Institute, said at the 'National Assembly Forum for Discussion on the Introduction Plan of the Autonomous Police System,' jointly hosted by Kim Young-bae, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, the Korea Association of Governors, and the National Police Agency, "It is difficult to avoid criticism of the Moon Jae-in administration's decentralization policy," but added, "The introduction of the autonomous police system has great historical significance in that it ended a 75-year debate, which can offset such criticism."

As the presenter of 'The Significance and Direction of the Full Revision Bill of the Police Act and Police Officer Act,' President Yang stated that regarding the current unified model autonomous police system, there are conflict patterns such as ▲ conflicts arising from changes in government organization ▲ conflicts in legal interpretation by conflicting parties ▲ conflicts in the content of the bill and the claims of each institution.

Accordingly, President Yang emphasized that for the successful implementation of the current autonomous police system, "There must be a consensus that the implementation of the autonomous police system itself is the most important, and a cooperative system including the national police, local governments, the National Assembly, and civil society must be established with a change in perception."

Furthermore, he proposed amendments to the command system, autonomous police affairs, and the autonomous police committee, as well as a roadmap including pilot implementation and the retention of the Jeju Autonomous Police Unit. In particular, President Yang suggested the establishment and operation of a 'Special Committee on Autonomous Police' in the National Assembly. He explained, "Since the unified model has not been implemented in other countries, it is expected to have more side effects," and added, "Absolute support and supervision from the legislative body, the National Assembly, are necessary until the system is established."

President Yang stated, "It is natural to criticize when a government suddenly proposes a completely different model and pushes it forward without going through the entire process that a previous government had pursued for a long time, which is unprecedented in past administrations," and emphasized, "The only response to criticism is the introduction of the autonomous police system. Only when the autonomous police system is implemented will the Moon Jae-in administration be historically evaluated as a government that presented efforts for local decentralization not in words but in results, and as a practical government that offered realistic alternatives rather than ideals."

At the forum, participants from the National Assembly, academic societies, central government agencies, city and provincial officials, and field police officers also demanded that the voices from the field be reflected in the National Assembly's bill review and approval process. Kwon Young-hwan, representative of the Workplace Council of Uiryeong Police Station in Gyeongnam, said, "Problems in the revision bill regarding autonomous police affairs and committees must be corrected and supplemented, and improvements in the treatment of field police officers, such as promotion by seniority for police inspectors and rank integration, are also necessary."

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