National Police Agency Hosts World's First 'International Fingerprint Analysis Competition'

On the 15th, the National Police Agency announced that it will hold the world's first "International Fingerprint Examination Competition (IFEC)" to showcase the skills of fingerprint examiners from both domestic and international law enforcement agencies.

International Fingerprint Analysis Competition Poster.
Photo by National Police Agency

Until now, there have been global fingerprint recognition competitions focusing on the performance of fingerprint recognition software, but this is the first competition where fingerprint examiners from law enforcement agencies around the world compete in their expertise.

Fingerprint examination remains a critical field where, despite the application of new technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and big data, the final judgment is made by skilled professional fingerprint examiners. Courts recognize the expertise of fingerprint examiners and results based on standardized procedures as grounds for evidential credibility.

By hosting this international competition, the National Police Agency aims to solidify South Korea’s position as a global leader in fingerprint examination and use the event as an opportunity to further enhance the professionalism of fingerprint examiners.

The competition will be held on the 28th of next month. Applications can be submitted via the QR code on the International Fingerprint Examination Competition poster. Winners from both domestic and international participants will receive medals, prizes, certificates, and awards from the Commissioner of the National Police Agency based on their performance.

A National Police Agency official stated, “We will prepare to make this competition a platform to widely promote the world-class fingerprint examination capabilities of the Korean police and to strengthen the international network in the field of fingerprint examination.”

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