Ministry of the Interior and Safety Establishes 'Police Bureau' with 1 Division and 3 Sections... 'Chief Superintendent' as Director and a Team of 16 Members

Establishment of 3 Departments Including General Support, Personnel Support, and Autonomous Police Support... Up to 80% Police Officers
National Police Agency and Fire Agency Establish Command Rules for Smooth Collaboration
Increase in Senior Positions Held by General Recruits Such as Patrol Officers

Dark clouds hang over the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency building in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, on the 15th, ahead of the announcement of the "Police System Improvement Plan," which includes the establishment of the Police Bureau, a police work organization, and the enactment of command rules by the Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety over the Commissioner of the National Police Agency. Photo by Kang Jin-hyeong aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min will establish a Police Bureau within the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, operating under a system of 1 division and 3 departments. A current Police Superintendent General will be appointed as the head of the Police Bureau to carry out tasks including proposing senior police personnel appointments, reviewing agenda items for the National Police Commission, and related legislation drafting and amendments.

On the 15th, Minister Lee announced the final version of the "Police System Improvement Plan" at the Government Seoul Office Building and stated that it will be implemented on the 2nd of next month after the Cabinet meeting. This comes about two months after he began full-scale efforts immediately upon his inauguration on May 13. Since the recommendation of the "Police System Improvement Advisory Committee" was released on the 21st of last month, Minister Lee has been conducting a series of relay meetings with frontline police officers in major regions such as Seoul, Sejong, and Gwangju until the 14th of this month to explain the direction of system improvements. Minister Lee explained, "To hear voices from the field, we held six on-site meetings in Seoul, Sejong, Gwangju, Gangwon, and Daegu, and reflected the results of the working-level consultative body between the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the National Police Agency to finalize the plan."

The Police Bureau will be staffed with 16 members, including a Police Superintendent General as the head of the division. The newly established Police Bureau will have three departments: General Support, Personnel Support, and Autonomous Police Support, with 12 police officers assigned based on the nature and functions of the work. Each newly established department will handle tasks such as submitting important police-related policies and laws to the Cabinet meeting, proposing appointments for police officers at the rank of Senior Superintendent or above, submitting agenda items to the National Police Commission, and supporting autonomous police.

Minister Lee emphasized, "The Ministry of the Interior and Safety is considering dispatching an additional 2 to 3 personnel depending on specific work demands, and in that case, about 80% of the total Police Bureau personnel are expected to be police officers. The Police Bureau head and the Personnel Support Department head can be appointed solely from police officers, and especially in the personnel department, all staff including the head will be assigned as police officers."

To establish a smooth cooperation system among the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the National Police Agency, and the Fire Agency, which are litigation agencies, a Command Regulation for affiliated agency heads will also be enacted. The command regulation includes approval of important policy matters of affiliated agencies, prior reporting and reporting, reporting important budget matters, submission of legal inquiry results, and important policy matters requiring approval such as establishing basic plans requiring legislation or amendment, joining international organizations, and concluding international agreements. Minister Lee explained, "The command regulation for affiliated agency heads, including both the National Police Agency and the Fire Agency, will be enacted based on the cases of seven ministries currently operating such regulations."

The National Police Workplace Council (Jikhyup) Min Gwan-gi, President of the Jikhyup at Cheongju Heungdeok Police Station in Chungbuk, along with the presidents of the Jikhyup from four other police stations, held a hunger strike and head-shaving protest on the 4th in front of the National Police Agency in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, opposing the establishment of the Police Bureau under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Measures to improve police personnel and expand infrastructure will also be promoted. This system improvement plan is interpreted as a 'carrot' to address frontline opposition to 'direct police control.' The Ministry of the Interior and Safety plans to expand the proportion of senior positions held by general recruits such as patrol officers by first increasing the proportion of general recruits below the rank of Senior Superintendent and implementing a plan from next year to have 20% of the candidates for promotion to Police Commissioner be general recruits through fast-track promotions or relaxed promotion review criteria.

To strengthen policy capabilities and resolve promotion bottlenecks, a multiple rank system will be introduced. It will be implemented in major policy departments at headquarters in the second half of this year and gradually expanded later. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety explains that as the number of Senior Superintendents increases, it will become easier for general recruits to be promoted to senior positions. Personnel reinforcement will also be carried out. To promptly handle economic crimes affecting people's livelihoods and the economy, personnel for the economic team and cyber team will be reinforced, and additional personnel will be assigned due to the transfer of military police cases to the police.

Starting in August, to raise police officer salaries, which are currently lower than those of public officials in public security fields such as corrections, protection, and immigration, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety will lead a consultative body with the National Police Agency and related ministries such as the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Personnel Innovation. Additionally, to strengthen police officers' capabilities, opportunities for education and training will be expanded, and the curriculum and faculty of the Investigation Training Institute will be increased.

A Police System Development Committee will also be formed and operated to discuss legal amendments or matters requiring in-depth review related to police system improvements. This committee, established as an advisory body under the Prime Minister, will have its chairperson elected from among civilian members to promote civilian-led discussions and will be composed of a total of 13 members, including civilian and ministry members.

Minister Lee said, "To discuss mid- to long-term improvement plans involving legal amendments and matters related to multiple ministries broadly and deeply,

we will establish and operate the 'Police System Development Committee' as an advisory body under the Prime Minister," adding, "The improvement plan will go through necessary procedures such as the Vice-Ministerial Meeting and Cabinet Meeting starting next week and is scheduled to be implemented from August 2."

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