[The Era of Autonomous Police Arrives] Organization Remains the Same... Only Administrative and Command Authority Decentralized

<Ha>Ongoing Controversy... Future Challenges

Replacing the 'Unified Autonomous Police' Model
Opposition from Civic Groups and Police
Autonomous Police Committee Dominated by Specific Occupations
"Only Changing the Surface, Not the Substance"
Detailed Coordination Needed on Personnel and Budget

The scene of on-site police officers holding a press conference in protest in front of the National Police Agency in Migeun-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, in September last year, after the announcement of the 'Unified Autonomous Police' model. Photo by Moon Honam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] The autonomous police system, set to be fully implemented next month, has consistently faced criticism as a ‘half-measure.’ Since the Moon Jae-in administration, the originally discussed ‘dual autonomous police’ model (separating organization, personnel, budget, etc.) was changed last July to a ‘unified autonomous police’ model that maintains the organization but only disperses duties and command authority. The biggest reason was the financial burden caused by the COVID-19 situation.

There was immediate backlash not only from civil society but also within the police. The Lawyers for a Democratic Society (Minbyun) sharply criticized in their December report on the introduction plan of the autonomous police system, stating, "This plan cannot be expected to achieve any effect among police power dispersion, securing the linkage between local administration and security administration, providing various security services suitable for residents’ needs, and strengthening the nation’s overall security capabilities." The National Police Workplace Council Emergency Committee also criticized, "It was pushed forward unilaterally without prior explanation or public opinion gathering, proving how lightly they regard public security."

After much difficulty, the bill was passed in the National Assembly, introducing the unified autonomous police system, but continuous issues arose during the formation of each city and provincial autonomous police committee (hereafter Autonomous Police Committee). Appointments were withdrawn amid civil society backlash due to problematic past records of individuals recommended by the National Police Commission, and a person appointed as the chair of an Autonomous Police Committee voluntarily resigned after causing a disturbance at a police substation.

There were also criticisms that the committee composition was biased toward certain professions. An analysis of 104 members from 15 city and provincial Autonomous Police Committees, completed as of early this month, showed that professors accounted for 35 members (33.7%), former police officers 23 members (22.1%), and lawyers 22 members (21.2%), making up a significant portion. Despite a provision in the current Police Act that efforts should be made to keep any one gender below 60%, only 19 members (18.2%) were women. Professor Lee Woong-hyuk of Konkuk University’s Department of Police Science pointed out, "There is a saying, ‘new wine in new wineskins,’ but in this case, only the wineskin was changed, not the wine itself, despite the major changes in the security system." He added, "Many of the Autonomous Police Committee chairs are ‘political patrons’ of the city and provincial governors, raising doubts about the execution of security policies centered on public interest." In this regard, the Police Agency’s Human Rights Committee recently recommended that the Police Commissioner prepare improvement measures regarding the appointment methods and procedures of Autonomous Police Committee members.

Practically, detailed coordination related to personnel and budget is also necessary. Because the organization is maintained while only duties are dispersed, police officers handling autonomous police duties technically still belong to the national police. To prevent confusion in personnel matters such as promotions and transfers, close consultation between the national police and autonomous police is required. The budget for autonomous police duties also varies by region, raising concerns about the emergence of a ‘security gap.’ Overcoming these concerns to realize region-tailored security and ensure residents’ safety in daily life is the biggest future challenge for autonomous police. The Human Rights Solidarity emphasized, "Since the system has already started, we hope it will proceed smoothly," and added, "We hope the autonomous police will play necessary roles in areas where actual security capabilities are needed, such as school violence, violence against women, traffic safety, industrial accident prevention, and suicide prevention."

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