Field Police Officers "Sorry to Jeong-in... Laws and Systems Must Be Improved to Ensure Active Response"

Busan Police Agency Workplace Council Issues Statement on Internal Network
"Separated and then expelled for over 2 years, also faced severe disciplinary action"
Establishing 24-Hour Child Abuse Response System
Calls for Expansion of Protection Facilities and Guarantee of Principled Investigations

A condolence wreath is placed in front of the wall of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office ahead of the first trial of the Jung-in case, where the adopted child died after 16 months of abuse by adoptive parents. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] The Busan Police Agency Workplace Council (Jikhyup) issued an apology regarding the 'Jung-in case' and urged legal and institutional reforms to enable proactive police responses. This is the first official stance from the workplace council, composed of on-site police officers, concerning the Jung-in case.

On the 12th, the Busan Police Agency Workplace Council posted a statement on the police internal network, expressing condolences for the short life of Jung-in and apologizing, saying, "As on-site police officers, we feel heavy-hearted and deeply sorry for the tragic outcome."

They emphasized the need for legal and institutional measures to guarantee proactive law enforcement by on-site police officers. The council stated, "There was even a police officer who was removed from duty for over two years and severely disciplined after being sued by adoptive parents following a separation order from the biological parents, with the court issuing a suspended sentence. We must ask why a 16-month-old adopted baby had to die so tragically from abuse akin to torture, and how we can prevent such painful tragedies caused by abuse in the future. All institutions related to child abuse must practically cooperate with each other, and laws and systems must be reformed to ensure that such tragedies never happen again."

As a countermeasure, the council proposed establishing a 24-hour operating system where child protection experts accompany police officers to the scene upon receiving suspected child abuse reports to make a primary judgment on abuse, enabling the child to receive treatment or diagnosis at medical institutions if necessary. In cases of suspected abuse, immediate separation to protective facilities and prompt investigation should be initiated.

They also argued for institutional reforms to protect dedicated child abuse police officers from various complaints and lawsuits, granting them immunity to investigate according to their convictions. If lawsuits arise from such responses, the state should have a system to represent them.

Additionally, the council demanded a significant expansion of child protection facilities to allow immediate protection of children suspected of abuse during nights or holidays. They also called for support in personnel management and education so that Abuse Prevention Officers (APOs), who are replaced annually for short periods, can become experts.

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