National Police Agency Opens Asia-Pacific Regional Office of the International Association of Chiefs of Police... Strengthening International Security Cooperation

On the 16th, at the International Police Chiefs Association Asia-Pacific Regional Office plaque unveiling ceremony held at the National Police Agency in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, Commissioner Kim Chang-ryong and other attendees are taking a commemorative photo. From the left, Lee Seung-hyeop, Head of International Cooperation Division, Commissioner Kim, Lim Yong-hwan, Director of Foreign Affairs Bureau, and Yeo Tae-su, Head of Foreign Affairs Planning Section.
[Photo by National Police Agency]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] The Asia-Pacific regional office of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the world's largest non-profit organization related to law enforcement for police commanders, will be established at the Korean National Police Agency.

On the 16th, the National Police Agency held a plaque ceremony at the police headquarters in Migeun-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, and officially began operating the IACP Asia-Pacific regional office.

The IACP currently has over 31,500 members from 168 countries. Through annual meetings and publications, it discusses and researches various law enforcement issues. The regional offices, established in seven regions worldwide including Asia-Pacific, North America, Europe, Central America and the Caribbean, South America, the Middle East and North Africa, and Sub-Saharan Africa, serve as hubs to exchange law enforcement issues from each region and promote inter-country cooperation.

This regional office establishment was achieved through close cooperation between the Korean National Police Agency and the IACP. In September this year, the IACP first proposed the establishment of a regional office to the National Police Agency, and in October, at the Seoul International Police Chiefs Conference, Police Commissioner Kim Chang-ryong and IACP Chairman Dwight Henninger agreed on the opening of the regional office through talks.

The IACP Asia-Pacific regional office will be headed by Im Yong-hwan, Director of the Foreign Affairs Bureau of the National Police Agency, and will utilize the IACP network to expand personnel exchanges such as dispatching police officers for training and job education, carrying out various activities to develop global police capabilities. Additionally, it will serve as a driving force to expand law enforcement cooperation by concurrently hosting the IACP Asia-Pacific International Law Enforcement Conference at the 4th Seoul International Police Chiefs Conference to be held in 2023. Emmanuel Lu, IACP Vice Chairman for International Cooperation (Director of the Foreign Affairs Bureau of the French Judicial Police), said, "We hope that by maintaining close cooperation with the IACP, Korea will play a leading role in global law enforcement development by sharing its advanced policing system, such as the 'Korean Wave of Law Enforcement,' with many countries."

A National Police Agency official emphasized, "Taking this regional office opening as an opportunity, we plan to continuously share Korea’s excellent law enforcement techniques and experience cases with the international community," adding, "We will enhance the status of the Republic of Korea as a global law enforcement hub leading international law enforcement cooperation."

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