Command Vacuum at the National Investigation Headquarters... Will Strengthening Investigation Capabilities Be Delayed?

Attorney Jeong Soon-shin was dismissed just one day after being appointed as the new head of the National Investigation Headquarters, leaving the position representing investigative police vacant for the time being. Although an acting system has been put in place, it is inevitable that the formulation and overall management of investigation policies, which require direct leadership from the head of the National Investigation Headquarters, will face setbacks.

According to the police on the 28th, the term of Nam Gu-jun, the first head of the National Investigation Headquarters, ended on the 25th, and the headquarters has entered an acting head system. The duties of the head are currently being handled by Kim Byung-woo, the Investigation Planning and Coordination Officer of the National Investigation Headquarters. Attorney Jeong, who was originally selected as Nam’s successor, was scheduled to begin official duties after receiving the appointment letter from President Yoon Seok-yeol the day before, but unexpectedly stepped down due to issues related to school violence involving his child.

Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, National Investigation Headquarters

The National Investigation Headquarters oversees police investigations and handles related policies. This year, it is reviewing various policies, including measures to strengthen investigative capabilities, which have been consistently raised inside and outside the police following the adjustment of investigative authority between the prosecution and police. Among these, securing investigative personnel and budget, reorganizing the organizational structure, improving systems to strengthen investigative accountability, and establishing a new normal investigative human rights system are considered core policy tasks. These are policy tasks that could cause confusion if hastily pursued without a chief responsible for overall management.

Voices within the police express concerns about the burden of pushing forward these policy tasks amid the vacancy of the head of the National Investigation Headquarters. A source affiliated with the National Investigation Headquarters said, "Plans have been made for each task, but it is not something that can be carried out straightforwardly," adding, "If the new head comes and reverses or modifies the plans, confusion is inevitable." This means that full-scale promotion of policy tasks is only possible once the leadership vacancy is filled.

While concerns have been raised about investigations of cases handled by the police, the consensus within the police is that the investigative gap caused by the absence of the head of the National Investigation Headquarters will not be significant. A Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency investigation official said, "Although police investigations are under the command of the National Investigation Headquarters, specific investigations of individual cases are led proactively by the respective city and provincial police agencies," adding, "Even without a head, ongoing investigations will not face major problems."

Police Commissioner Yoon Hee-geun stated the day before regarding the new head appointment process, "We will proceed as quickly as possible to avoid any concerns about a vacancy," and added, "The previous recruitment process took about 50 days, but we will proceed somewhat faster than that."

Some expect that since external recruitment failed, the appointment process may focus more on internal selection this time, making it possible to appoint a new head of the National Investigation Headquarters as early as next month. According to the 'Act on the Organization and Operation of the National Police and Autonomous Police,' external recruitment for the head of the National Investigation Headquarters is only to be conducted 'when necessary.'

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