Yoon Hee-geun Attends UN Police Chiefs Meeting... First International Cooperation Activity Since Inauguration

Commissioner Yoon Hee-geun of the National Police Agency held a meeting with Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations (UNDPO), on the 31st of last month. / Photo by National Police Agency

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] Yoon Hee-geun, Commissioner of the Korean National Police Agency, attended the UN Police Chiefs Meeting held on the 1st at the United Nations (UN) Headquarters in New York, USA. This is his first international cooperation activity since taking office.

The UN Police Chiefs Meeting is the largest international conference on public security held biennially under the auspices of the UN Secretariat. Since its first meeting in 2016, this year marks the third meeting following 2018. The meeting was not held in 2020 due to the impact of COVID-19. This year, police chiefs from over 120 countries attended to discuss ▲ implementation plans for peacekeeping activity concepts ▲ promotion of sustainable peace and development ▲ realization of common goals in police activities.

In his keynote speech at the opening ceremony, Commissioner Yoon stated, "South Korea has transformed from a beneficiary country receiving support from the UN to a country that has achieved both economic development and democracy through the Miracle on the Han River, sharing its success experiences with other countries." He continued, "As the saying goes, 'There is no path to peace; peace itself is the path,' the Korean police will actively participate in the UN's journey toward world peace by discovering projects in conflict areas and transferring security systems integrated with advanced technology."

Before the meeting, Commissioner Yoon also held talks with heads of UN affiliated agencies and delegations from major countries. On the 31st of last month, he met with Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Under-Secretary-General of UNDPO (Department of Peace Operations), to discuss the dispatch of Korean police experts to the DPO headquarters and plans to expand PKO personnel. In a meeting with Vladimir Voronkov, Under-Secretary-General of UNOCT (Office of Counter-Terrorism), they explored cooperation measures on new technology terrorism such as tracking terrorist financing, drones, and cybersecurity. On the same day, Commissioner Yoon met with Nguyen Chu Ngoc, Vice Minister of Public Security of Vietnam, to discuss high-level exchanges, discovery of new cooperative projects, and measures to strengthen protection of overseas nationals of both countries.

On the day of the meeting, Commissioner Yoon met with Michael Duhem, Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, to discuss the comprehensive MOU signing plan between the two agencies and exchanged views on effective UN police activities and development strategies. On the 2nd, he is scheduled to hold talks with Hao Liangqi, Deputy Administrator of UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), and meet with Ambassador Hwang Jun-guk of the Korean Permanent Mission to the UN. With Ambassador Hwang, he plans to discuss the necessity and dispatch plans of police attach?s within the mission responsible for international security agendas promoted by the UN, such as PKO, counter-terrorism, and traffic safety.

Meanwhile, the government recently pledged to expand South Korea's participation in PKO activities. Considering policy changes in UN peacekeeping activities, the Korean National Police Agency is studying ways to expand the role of Korean police in PKO based on the dispatch of expert groups and police units, and plans to establish and promote mid- to long-term development plans in the future.

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