Kim Soon-ho and Kim Hee-jung Likely Candidates for First Police Bureau Chief at Ministry of the Interior and Safety... Lee Sang-min "Announcement Tomorrow"

Non-Police Background Kim Sun-ho and Kim Hee-jung Mentioned as Police Commissioners
Lee Sang-min Responds to Opposition's Impeachment Call: "Will Accept If Illegality Is Proven"

Sang-min Lee, Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, is demonstrating the mobile driver's license at the mobile driver's license launch ceremony held at the Gangseo Driver's License Examination Office in Seoul on the 288th day.

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] Non-Korean National Police University graduates are being considered as candidates for the first director of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s Police Bureau, which will be launched next month. Kim Sun-ho, Director of the National Security Investigation Bureau at the National Police Agency, and Kim Hee-jung, Director of the Criminal Affairs Bureau at the National Police Agency, are regarded as strong candidates.

On the 28th, Lee Sang-min, Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, said at the mobile driver’s license launch ceremony held at the Gangseo Driver’s License Examination Office in Seoul, regarding the appointment of the Police Bureau director, “There are various entry routes into the police. Some start as patrol officers, some graduate from the Korean National Police University, and others come from the cadre candidate program,” adding, “We are currently carefully reviewing who among them is suitable to be the first Police Bureau director.”

The minister said, “Deputy Commissioner Kim Sun-ho is also being considered as a strong candidate, and I think we might be able to announce the appointment by tomorrow,” and added, “Regarding the personnel composition, we are also listening to the opinions of the National Police Agency Commissioner candidate and gathering overall opinions from the police, so we cannot announce it immediately.”

Deputy Commissioner Kim Sun-ho is from Gwangju, graduated from Gwangju High School and Sungkyunkwan University with a degree in Political Science and Diplomacy, and joined the police in 1989 through a special recruitment as a sergeant. He currently serves as Director of the National Security Investigation Bureau at the National Police Agency and is also the head of the personnel hearing preparation team for Yoon Hee-geun, the candidate for National Police Agency Commissioner.

Kim Hee-jung, Director of the Criminal Affairs Bureau at the National Police Agency and a graduate of the cadre candidate program, is also among the candidates. Deputy Commissioner Kim is also a non-Korean National Police University graduate. It is known that the minister conveyed that the transfer of a deputy commissioner requires presidential approval, so final confirmation is difficult.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety plans to finalize the Police Bureau appointments within this week, announce the personnel on the 1st of next month, and launch the Police Bureau on the 2nd.

Regarding the opposition party’s consideration of impeaching the minister on the grounds that the establishment of the Police Bureau is illegal, Minister Lee emphasized, “If anyone finds even one illegality related to the establishment of the Police Bureau, I will accept it all,” stressing that there is no legal problem.

In response to Assemblyman Jeon Hae-cheol’s claim that the establishment of the Police Bureau violates Article 96 of the Constitution, Minister Lee stated, “There is no legal problem. It is fully in accordance with the Constitution and laws.”

The Police Bureau, which will be launched on the 2nd of next month, will consist of 16 members including the director, and will have three divisions: General Support Division, Personnel Support Division, and Autonomous Police Division. Both the heads of the Personnel Support Division and the Autonomous Police Division will be police colonels. Candidates for colonel-level positions also include those from the civil service exam and the cadre candidate program.

When asked whether colonels who are non-Korean National Police University graduates will also be considered, the minister replied, “We will just mix everyone together (for appointments).”

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