The Journalists' Association Opposes "Privatization of Police Power by Political Authority"... Yoon Hee-geun Steps in to Manage (Comprehensive)

Statement Issued Demanding Reexamination
Cheongjang Candidate Meeting Scheduled
Yoon to Prepare Alongside Hearing

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@

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Sung-pil] The chairpersons of the National Police Workplace Council (NPWC) stated on the 15th regarding the police system improvement plan announced by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS), "It is a serious historical regression aimed at privatizing police authority by political power." On the 16th, after completing COVID-19 quarantine at midnight and returning to work normally for the first time, Yoon Hee-geun, the nominee for Commissioner General of the National Police Agency (NPA), chaired a nationwide commanders' video conference to manage internal affairs and began full-scale preparations for the confirmation hearing.

The NPWC chairpersons said in a statement released on the morning of the 18th, "Looking at the MOIS announcement, it appears they do not understand the historical establishment process of the current police system and only highlight its problems, proposing the establishment of a Police Bureau as an alternative." They also stated, "They are ignoring the risks of direct government control that emerged from the background and process of the NPA being separated as an independent external agency in 1991."

The NPWC chairpersons were particularly wary of the Police Bureau within MOIS intervening in personnel procedures. They emphasized, "This is a serious act infringing on the neutrality and independence of the police. The personnel authority of the Commissioner General should be guaranteed to the maximum extent as it strengthens the chief's responsibility for public security." As the basis for this claim, the NPWC cited provisions from the current Police Act and Police Officers Act. According to the relevant laws, the National Police Commission has the right to consent to the Commissioner General, and the Commissioner General has the right to recommend appointments for senior positions, including metropolitan and provincial police chiefs of rank superintendent general or higher. Meanwhile, the Minister of the Interior and Safety has the right to propose appointments for senior positions, including the Commissioner General and metropolitan and provincial police chiefs of rank superintendent general or higher. The NPWC expressed concern that if senior appointments are manipulated through the Minister's appointment proposal authority, the police force could operate as an organization loyal to political power.

The NPWC chairpersons also opposed the creation of an Autonomous Police Bureau within the Police Bureau, stating, "The Minister of the Interior and Safety has no authority over the operation of the Autonomous Police Committee and therefore cannot establish an Autonomous Police Support Division." They pointed out that this ignores the background and process of the NPA's separation as an independent external agency in 1991. Last July, in line with the ideology of local decentralization, Korea introduced the autonomous police system by granting police authority to local governments, making them responsible for the establishment, maintenance, and operation of the police to realize 'regionally tailored' public security services.

While pointing out these issues, the NPWC put forward three demands: ▲ Guarantee the independence of the Commissioner General's personnel authority ▲ Reconsider the MOIS's central control measures that go against the era of local decentralization ▲ Field police officers will devote themselves solely to public security for the people. The NPWC stated, "We will strongly and firmly respond to unjust investigative directives from police leadership and policing policies aimed at control or showmanship," and "We will fulfill our role as democratic police to become independent and neutral police."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The NPWC plans to form a delegation on the 21st to hold a meeting with nominee Yoon Hee-geun. It is expected that the NPWC will reiterate these positions at the meeting. On the other hand, Yoon is expected to emphasize that the Police Bureau will be composed mainly of police personnel, that improvements in treatment such as raising police salaries to the level of public security officials will be pursued, and that the independence of investigations will be guaranteed. Through the nationwide commanders' video conference on the same day, Yoon shared the progress of discussions at the working-level council regarding the MOIS police system improvement plan and worked to stabilize internal affairs.

Yoon is also reportedly reviewing current issues, including the establishment of the Police Bureau within MOIS, as part of preparations for the confirmation hearing. Previously, the Democratic Party criticized the establishment of the Police Bureau within MOIS as a revival of the former Ministry of Home Affairs' Security Headquarters and accused the Yoon Seok-yeol administration of politicizing the police force. There are already expectations inside and outside the police that if Yoon fails to sufficiently persuade concerns and controversies over police neutrality due to the Police Bureau's establishment, the confirmation hearing will be a difficult one.

Yoon's camp is accelerating preparations, anticipating that the confirmation hearing will be held by the end of this month, as both ruling and opposition parties have agreed to actively cooperate to complete negotiations on the National Assembly's second-half organization by the 21st. In addition to the establishment of the Police Bureau, the hearing is expected to inevitably include questions about follow-up measures such as investigating controversies over the appointment of senior police officers and inquiries about investigations related to major political figures such as Lee Jun-seok, leader of the People Power Party, and Lee Jae-myung, member of the Democratic Party.

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