Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, Checks on 'Geomsu Wanbak' Right After Inauguration?…Launch of Police System Improvement Committee (Comprehensive)

Consisting of Professors and Lawyers Advocating for Reallocation of Investigative Authority
National Police Agency: "We Will Explain the Police Position as Much as Possible and Negotiate"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Lim Cheol-young and Cho Sung-pil] Lee Sang-min, Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, formed the 'Police System Improvement Advisory Committee' on the 13th, shortly after his inauguration, and began preparing so-called police control measures. This move is interpreted as a full-scale effort to check the police, whose authority has increased following the passage of the so-called 'Prosecutorial Investigation Authority Separation and Complete Abolition of Prosecution' (commonly known as 'Geomsu Wanbak') law, which separates the prosecution's investigation and indictment powers.

According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the National Police Agency on the 16th, Minister Lee recently formed the 'Police System Improvement Advisory Committee,' one of the subcommittees under the minister's policy advisory committee, and held the first meeting on the 13th. The advisory committee consists of 10 members, including six civilians such as professors and lawyers, one police officer, and three public officials. The chairpersons are jointly held by the Vice Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and lawyer Hwang Jeong-geun, a former judge.

Attendees at the meeting included the Vice Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Director of Planning and Coordination, the Investigation Planning Coordinator of the National Police Agency, Professor Jeong Seung-yoon of Pusan National University, Professor Jeong Woong-seok of Seokyeong University, lawyer Hwang Jeong-geun, Professor Kang Wook of the Korean National Police University, former Professor Yoon Seok-dae of Hannam University, and Professor Cho So-young of Pusan National University. The discussion focused on the topic of 'Democratic Operation Measures for Police Investigations.'

The newly formed advisory committee is expected to meet biweekly, and the police are closely monitoring the direction and pace of the discussions. Since the National Police Agency is a subordinate agency under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the minister has the right to recommend appointments for positions of police commissioner and above. However, the minister's control over public security affairs has been limited, with some functions delegated to the National Police Commission.

The advisory committee is expected to discuss various measures, including strengthening the authority of the National Police Commission and reducing the authority of the national police through the autonomous police system. Considering the policy direction of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration and the fact that the advisory committee members have argued for the need to readjust investigative powers, significant changes may follow.

An official from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said, "There are various discussions, but nothing has been concretely decided yet," adding, "The direction of the discussions will need to be observed over time."

The police are also closely watching these developments. Nam Gu-jun, head of the National Investigation Headquarters of the National Police Agency, said at a press briefing that "From the perspective of those conducting investigations, it is judged that there is no significant change due to the passage of the Geomsu Wanbak law, but there are many concerns that it might lead to abuse of power, such as a 'dinosaur police,'" adding, "We will do our best to explain the police's position and negotiate."

Nam also said, "The police have always made many efforts in terms of reform whenever a new government comes in. I do not know the exact background of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's (initiative to prepare control measures)," and added, "If there are reasons to accept certain controls, we will accept them."

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