National Investigation Headquarters Command, Gathered 'Susa-tong' Experts

Investigation Planning Coordinator Lee Hyung-se
Appointed Criminal Affairs Director Lee Young-sang
Existing Police Investigation Command Line Retained
'3rd Deputy System' Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Personnel Also Smooth

On the 4th, the signboard of the National Investigation Headquarters hung at the Seoul Seodaemun-gu Police Agency. From this year, the police organization has been divided into national, autonomous, and investigative police, and with the abolition of the prosecutor's investigation command authority, the police have gained the primary investigation conclusion authority, drawing significant attention to the National Investigation Headquarters overseeing investigations. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Senior officials within the police force known as 'investigation experts' have been fully assigned to the National Investigation Headquarters (NIH), which will oversee police investigative affairs. This move is interpreted as an effort to enhance the credibility of police investigations by appointing individuals with high expertise and practical understanding in line with the strengthened police investigative authority following the implementation of the prosecution-police investigation authority adjustment.

According to the police on the 5th, in the promotion and transfer of police commissioners held the previous day, Lee Hyung-se, head of the Police Investigation Structure Reform Team, was promoted and appointed to the newly established position of Investigation Planning and Coordination Officer with the launch of the NIH. The Investigation Planning and Coordination Officer is a key position within the NIH responsible for support tasks such as managing, deploying, and budgeting investigative police personnel, as well as establishing investigation policies and handling complaints and petitions related to investigations. Lee has long been in charge of police investigation structure reform and is one of the figures who laid the theoretical foundation and practical framework for the current investigation authority adjustment. This is interpreted as the government and police's determination to ensure the early stabilization of the investigation authority adjustment.

Alongside the Investigation Planning and Coordination Officer, Lee Young-sang, Chief of Daegu Police Agency, was transferred and appointed as the newly established Director of the Criminal Affairs Bureau. Director Lee is also regarded as an investigation expert within the police. During his time as a police superintendent, he served as the Police Investigation Planning Officer and head of the Investigation System Reform Team, and after his promotion to police commissioner, he served as Director of the Police Traffic Bureau. Notably, during his tenure as Traffic Bureau Director in March last year, when the so-called 'Min-sik Law' was enacted causing confusion, he directly reviewed traffic accidents in children's protection zones nationwide at the Police Agency and decided on the application of the law, handling cases without significant issues. The Criminal Affairs Bureau is composed of the Violent Crime Investigation Division, Narcotics and Organized Crime Investigation Division, and Women and Juvenile Crime Investigation Division, and responds to major crimes.

Meanwhile, existing heads of police investigation functions such as Choi Seung-ryeol, Director of the Investigation Bureau, Gib Gap-sik, Director of the Cyber Investigation Bureau, and Noh Seung-il, Director of the Security Investigation Bureau, have been retained. Once appointments for the vacant positions of Scientific Investigation Manager, Investigation Human Rights Officer, and section chief-level personnel are completed through future superintendent and senior superintendent personnel changes, the NIH leadership appointments, excluding the headquarters chief, will be finalized.

Separately, the personnel changes for the Deputy Commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, which is being reorganized into a three-deputy system, are also evaluated to have proceeded smoothly. Kim Byung-soo, Deputy Commissioner for Public Safety, was promoted and appointed from his previous position as head of the Seoul Police Riot Unit, bringing a high level of job understanding, and Lee Kyu-moon, Deputy Commissioner for Investigations, is one of the investigation experts who previously served as Director of the Police Investigation Bureau. Ko Ki-chul, Deputy Commissioner for Autonomous Police, also served as head of the Police Autonomous Police Promotion Team and Chief of Jeju Police Agency, earning a reputation as a suitable candidate with both theoretical knowledge and practical experience.

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