72nd Anniversary of 'Forensic Science Day' Jeonnam Police Embark on New Challenge

The Scene Should Be Detailed and Thorough, Evidence Must Remain Uncontaminated, Forensic Investigation Should Be Professional

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Chunsu] The police have recently established themselves as the primary investigative agency following the revision of the Criminal Procedure Act. They now face a major trend of judicial changes aimed at strengthening the principle of evidence-based trials and trial-centered procedures, as well as investigative structure reforms intended to improve the flaws of past investigative systems.

The Jeonnam Provincial Police Agency’s Forensic Investigation Division announced that on the morning of the 4th at 10 a.m., it held a commemorative event in the first-floor lobby of the agency to mark “Forensic Investigation Day,” honoring meritorious personnel and appreciating the hard work of forensic investigators.

Considering the COVID-19 situation, the event was conducted on a small scale with about 20 attendees, including forensic investigators, while adhering to quarantine guidelines.

The police have designated November 4th each year as “Forensic Investigation Day,” commemorating the establishment of the first “Forensic Division” within the Ministry of the Interior’s Security Bureau on November 4, 1948.

Forensic investigation is becoming more important than ever in protecting human rights and discovering substantive truth through objective evidence collection and the probative value of evidence. Accordingly, it is being conducted with professionalism to proactively respond to crimes.

The history of forensic investigation in Jeonnam Police began with separate forensic tasks performed at each police station. On November 3, 2014, the Forensic Investigation Unit was newly established within the Investigation Division, transitioning to a three-regional metropolitan forensic investigation system centered on the provincial agency (Western, Eastern, and Central regions). On April 3 of this year, the forensic investigation division was newly established at the department level and expanded and reorganized into two units and four regional metropolitan forensic investigation teams.

This year, with the expansion to a department-level operation, the Jeonnam Police Forensic Investigation Division has 68 forensic investigators dispersed across four regions?Mokpo, Naju, Gwangyang, and Gangjin?to promptly respond to various incidents and accidents, performing forensic investigation duties at the forefront of incident scenes.

Until October 2020, the Forensic Investigation Division actively conducted 3,798 site inspections, 1,489 autopsies, and 456 polygraph tests, scientifically collecting traces left at crime scenes and professionally analyzing evidence to discover substantive truth.

The main tasks of the Forensic Investigation Division include profiling, polygraph (lie detector) testing, video analysis, forensic hypnosis, composite sketching, fire investigation, underwater forensic investigation, and bloodstain pattern analysis. By applying new forensic techniques developed through advances in science and technology to the field, the division is solidifying the police’s responsibility-based investigative system across various areas.

Jeonnam Police Chief Kim Jaegyu, in his remarks, expressed appreciation for the hard work of forensic investigators who have braved difficult sites such as rugged mountain paths, raging fires, and cold waters. He also urged them to proactively respond to crimes with professionalism that combines high-level scientific knowledge and diverse know-how to properly fulfill their roles as full investigative leaders amid the major trend of investigative structure reform.

Following this, awards were presented to meritorious personnel: Sergeant Park Dasol received the Commissioner General’s Commendation, while Inspector Cha Un, Lieutenant Choi Sunman, and Sergeant Shin Eunhye were honored with the Jeonnam Police Chief’s Commendation.

Sergeant Park Dasol pledged, “Each forensic investigator will develop professional capabilities in the field of forensic investigation to become the central axis of the transition to ‘evidence-centered human rights investigations,’ contributing to solving various crimes and creating an environment where citizens can live with peace of mind through more active and proactive forensic investigation activities.”

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