Ahead of Full Implementation of Autonomous Police in July... Flood of Criticism over City and Provincial Autonomous Police Committee Formation

National Police Agency Human Rights Commission, Concerns Over Lack of Women and Human Rights Experts
"Formal Operation" Criticism of National Police Commission

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] Concerns are continuously being raised regarding the autonomous police system, which will be fully implemented starting in July. Most of the controversies revolve around the personnel composition of the autonomous police committees in each city and province. The city/province autonomous police committees hold the command and supervisory authority over the autonomous police, making them the core of the autonomous police system in name and reality.

According to the police on the 26th, the Police Agency Human Rights Committee recommended to the Commissioner of the National Police Agency that improvement measures be prepared to promote gender equality and other aspects regarding the appointment methods and procedures of the members of the city/province autonomous police committees formed following the implementation of the autonomous police system.

Under the current "Act on the Organization and Operation of the National Police and Autonomous Police," the city/province autonomous police committee is composed of seven members: one recommended by the city/province governor, one by the city/province superintendent of education, one by the National Police Commission, two by the city/province council, and two by the committee recommendation committee. In this process, efforts must be made to ensure that a specific gender does not exceed six-tenths of the members, and one member should be appointed as a human rights expert.

However, among the 104 members of the autonomous police committees across 15 cities and provinces, only 19 (18.2%) are women, and there are no women among the chairpersons or standing members. In Busan, Daejeon, Gyeongnam, and Gangwon, there are no women members at all, while only Gyeongbuk complies with the regulation by appointing three female members. Additionally, the Police Agency Human Rights Committee confirmed that four cities and provinces?Busan, Daejeon, Jeonbuk, and Gyeongnam?did not appoint any human rights experts among their members.

Similar concerns have been raised by civic groups. The Human Rights Solidarity recently issued a statement saying, "Among the autonomous police committee members recommended by the National Police Commission, five are former police officers, and seven are professors of public administration or police administration, overwhelmingly favoring police-friendly personnel." They pointed out, "The autonomous police system should embody the purpose of providing resident-tailored services that the national police inevitably neglected, but the inclusion of many people representing only the police perspective fails to realize the system's intent." They added, "Democratic control over the police through the autonomous police committee and the provision of customized, community-friendly police services have been seriously distorted."

Criticism was also directed at the National Police Commission. The Human Rights Solidarity stated, "The National Police Commission did not disclose any reasons for recommending the autonomous police committee members in each city and province," and argued, "The reasons for recommendation are basic information that local residents who should receive autonomous police services naturally need to know and do not infringe on the privacy or personal rights of the recommended individuals." They continued, "In March, the National Police Commission passed the candidate list submitted by the Police Agency as 'original approval,' which is a very irresponsible committee operation."

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