Police Agency Civil Servants Union "Abolish the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's Proposal to Establish the Police Bureau Immediately"

The National Police Agency in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, on the 21st, when the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's Police System Improvement Advisory Committee is scheduled to announce recommendations on police control measures. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety's Police System Improvement Advisory Committee will release the recommendations on this day. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Jo] The National Public Officials Labor Union Police Agency Branch strongly criticized the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's 'Police System Improvement Advisory Committee' recommendation on police control, calling it "a violation of the independence and democracy of police authority."

In a statement released that afternoon, the union expressed regret over the recommendation, saying, "It goes beyond the essence of the separation of powers and delegated legislation to solidify the 'Big Brother Ministry of the Interior and Safety,'" and urged the immediate abolition of the plan to establish a Police Bureau within the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

The union stated, "Attempting to make public security affairs, which are not even stipulated by law, the responsibility of the Minister of the Interior and Safety through enforcement ordinances and rules is a serious constitutional violation that undermines the democracy and independence of the police, going beyond the essence of delegated legislation." It added, "The simplistic idea of creating another oversized power, the 'Big Brother Ministry of the Interior and Safety,' to control the bloated police authority is merely a reshuffling of powers and can never achieve the true purpose of the separation of powers."

The union pointed out, "When the Ministry of Justice's Personnel Information Management Unit was launched, the expansion of authority through enforcement ordinance tricks was also controversial," and emphasized, "To ensure that police authority is exercised democratically, rather than making irregular amendments to 'enforcement ordinances and rules,' the National Police Commission, a consultative body stipulated by law, should be strengthened and operated more effectively."

Furthermore, the union urged, "Reflect on whether the opinions of Police Agency workers were ever sought during the discussion of the Police Bureau establishment plan," and warned, "Administrative reorganization carried out recklessly without gathering the opinions of affiliated workers can never succeed and is merely 'desk administration.' Keep this in mind." It added, "For a democratic police organization, any improvements should definitely go through a process of collecting opinions from frontline public official workers."

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