Police Chief: "Open Auditor Position, Appointment Regardless of Background Is the Basic Stance"

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Jo] Kim Chang-ryong, Commissioner of the National Police Agency, stated regarding the appointment of a current Board of Audit and Inspection official as an open auditor at the National Police Agency, "The National Police Agency appoints the top-ranked candidate recommended by the Ministry of Personnel Management unless there are special reasons."

At a regular press briefing held in writing on the 7th, Commissioner Kim said, "Considering the importance of the auditor who oversees audit and inspection duties for the police organization, the Ministry of Personnel Management’s selection committee comprehensively verifies applicants’ expertise, experience, and capabilities to select and recommend candidates."

Previously, on the 24th of last month, the National Police Agency hired Mr. A, a Board of Audit and Inspection employee, as an open auditor. The fact that a current Board of Audit and Inspection official has held the auditor position for 13 years raised concerns about monopolization. Commissioner Kim emphasized, "Although former Board of Audit and Inspection officials have been continuously appointed, the basic stance of the National Police Agency is to appoint candidates with the capability to oversee the entire police organization’s audit duties regardless of their background."

Regarding criticisms that there are barriers between investigations and policies related to crimes against socially vulnerable groups, such as the stalking incident recently occurring in Daegu, Commissioner Kim stated, "Since the launch of the National Investigation Headquarters last year, crimes against socially vulnerable groups such as women and juveniles are handled by the Criminal Affairs Bureau, while policies are managed by the Community Safety Bureau to promote functional specialization."

He added, "Some worry about confusion in the command system due to the bifurcation of departments in higher institutions, but through various consultative bodies such as the Police Reform Inspection Meeting and the Women and Juvenile Function Strategy Council, we are collaborating organically," and said, "We will continue to make efforts to prevent any confusion in the command system."

Regarding the National Cybersecurity Act promoted by the ruling party, Commissioner Kim said, "It is necessary to establish and operate a cybersecurity decision-making and execution body under the Prime Minister’s Office to enable close cooperation among ministries such as the Ministry of Science and ICT, the National Intelligence Service, and the Ministry of National Defense," adding, "This will enable systematic and comprehensive responses."

Concerning the investigation status of the collapse accident at the Yangju Sampyo Industrial quarry, which is considered the first application target of the Serious Accident Punishment Act, Commissioner Kim said, "A dedicated investigation team was formed with the head of the Criminal Division of the Northern Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency as the team leader," and added, "We are conducting a strict investigation into the cause of the accident and whether there was any negligence in safety management, including raiding the Sampyo Industrial Yangju branch."

Regarding the investigation progress of the Gwangju collapse accident, he reported, "We have investigated 56 related persons including the site manager of Hyundai Development Company and have booked 11 people," and "We have raided a total of 45 construction companies and are analyzing related materials."

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