Next Year 'Gongnyong Police' Launch... Commissioner General of Police: "Decentralization Introduced... Expansion of Citizen Participation" (Comprehensive)

[Asia Economy Reporter Song Seung-yoon] From January 1 next year, the police organization will introduce a decentralized system consisting of the National Police, Autonomous Police, and Investigation Police.

Kim Chang-ryong, Commissioner of the National Police Agency, stated at a briefing held at the National Police Agency in Migeun-dong, Seoul, on the afternoon of the 16th, "When the revised law takes effect on January 1 next year, the command and supervision bodies for national, autonomous, and investigative affairs will be separated. The authority that had been concentrated in the Commissioner of the National Police Agency will be distributed to each city/province and the National Investigation Headquarters, establishing a de facto decentralized system."

Accordingly, the National Police will be responsible for intelligence, security, and foreign affairs, and a National Investigation Headquarters dedicated to investigations will be established. The head of the National Investigation Headquarters will have a guaranteed two-year term and be an open position. Commissioner Kim explained, "For internal candidates, police officers at the rank of Senior Superintendent or higher with more than 10 years of investigative experience are eligible. When selecting from within, it will be done in a way similar to the promotion appointment of Senior Superintendents or higher, where the President gives the final approval, so it will not take much time."

He said, "Not only internally but also externally, individuals with certain qualifications will be selected to conduct investigations responsibly while maintaining independence and neutrality, and they will perform the important task of realizing investigative accountability and independence as the overall control tower of police investigations." He also added, "Although not finalized yet, an Investigation Planning Coordinator and a Forensic Investigation Manager will be assigned under the head of the National Investigation Headquarters," and "an Investigation Human Rights Officer responsible for human rights in investigations will also be introduced."

The Cyber Safety Bureau will be renamed the Cyber Investigation Bureau, and the Security Bureau will be expanded and reorganized to be affiliated internally, with related ministries currently in consultation. Commissioner Kim said, "Consultations with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety have been completed, and once finalized by the Ministry of Strategy and Finance and approved through the Vice-Ministerial Meeting and Cabinet Meeting, the National Investigation Headquarters of the National Police Agency will operate in this way."

The Intelligent Crime Investigation Unit and the Metropolitan Investigation Unit are also expected to undergo minor organizational restructuring. He emphasized, "If too many personnel work in one investigative department, there will be minor organizational restructuring to specialize and create separate new departments," and "I think traffic investigations and investigations related to women and youth will be comprehensively managed by the Criminal Affairs Bureau in the future."

The Autonomous Police, which handle tasks closely related to residents' daily lives such as community safety, women and youth, traffic, and security, will be under the command and supervision of the city/province Autonomous Police Committees.

However, from January next year, the prosecutor's authority to direct police investigations will be abolished, and the police will have the authority to conclude primary investigations. Additionally, after a three-year grace period, the police will also take over the counterintelligence investigation authority from the National Intelligence Service. As the role and authority of the police expand, concerns have also been raised. In response to these concerns, Commissioner Kim emphasized, "We have introduced a decentralized system rather than concentrating all authority in one institution," and "We will expand and institutionalize active citizen participation to realize police administration that works together with the public."

The police plan to strengthen internal and external control functions such as the National Police Commission, city/province Autonomous Police Committees, Police Workplace Councils, and Anti-Corruption Councils, and institutionalize citizen participation by establishing a Case Review Citizen Committee.

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