Police Chief: "Police Authority Limited in Personal Protection and Emergency Measures... Needs Revolutionary Improvement"

Commissioner Kim Chang-ryong of the National Police Agency. / Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwanju] Kim Chang-ryong, Commissioner of the National Police Agency, recently expressed his condolences regarding the case in Songpa-gu, Seoul, where a family under personal protection was murdered, stating, "I pray for the repose of the sacrificed citizen and feel deeply regretful." He also emphasized the need to improve the current personal protection laws and systems.

At a regular press briefing on the 13th, Commissioner Kim said, "We will fulfill our responsibilities for the safety of the people."

In particular, Commissioner Kim openly criticized the insufficiency of budgets, personnel, and legal systems related to the personal protection system. He confessed, "To be honest, the police are also facing many concerns and difficulties."

In fact, since the Stalking Punishment Act came into effect on October 21, reports of stalking crimes have increased about fourfold, with over 105 cases reported daily. Requests for personal protection have also surged from around 14,700 cases last year to 21,700 cases this year. Commissioner Kim stated, "By the end of the year, it will increase by at least 55%," adding, "The police's security burden related to personal protection is increasing exponentially."

He stressed that there is a problem with the limited authority of police officers dispatched to the scene to take emergency measures. He pointed out, "Even if police officers are blatantly refused emergency response measures, there is nothing they can do on site," and added, "They cannot make an on-the-spot arrest, and detention in a holding cell requires a certain level of risk or criminal suspicion, which limits their actions."

Commissioner Kim emphasized, "While the workload is skyrocketing, we have to respond with the same personnel and the same organization," and said, "Although we continue to repeat necessary education and training, I believe that laws, systems, personnel, budgets, equipment, and systems supporting this must be comprehensively reviewed, improved, and drastically expanded simultaneously."

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