Expansion of Recognition Scope for Duty-Related Deaths of Mandatory Police Officers

Survey by Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, National Police Agency, and Korea Coast Guard
National Police Agency Implements Revised 'Mandatory Police Management Regulations' in December 2019

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The scope of recognition for duty-related death and injury for conscripted police officers who are injured or die while performing official duties will be expanded compared to before.

On the 21st, the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission announced that, together with the National Police Agency and the Korea Coast Guard, they revised the "Classification Criteria for Duty-Related Death and Injury" in the "Conscripted Police Management Regulations" last December to broaden the scope of duty-related death and injury for conscripted police officers.

From July to September last year, an investigation was conducted on the review results of duty-related death or injury and illness of conscripted police officers, and based on this, the National Police Agency changed the criteria in December.

First, even if death occurs by suicide, it will be recognized as a duty-related death if there is a significant causal relationship with official duties.

This decision considered the Supreme Court ruling that "even if a soldier dies by suicide during military service, if there is a significant causal relationship between the performance of duties and death, they should not be excluded from being recognized as a national merit recipient."

The criteria for proving the causal relationship between the occurrence or worsening of illness and the performance of official duties have also been relaxed. Previously, recognition as duty-related death or injury was only possible if it was "medically judged" that the occurrence or worsening of the illness had a significant causal relationship with the performance of official duties.

Accordingly, the phrase "medically judged" was removed from the classification criteria for duty-related death and injury. This took into account the Supreme Court ruling that "the causal relationship between death or injury during official duties does not necessarily have to be clearly proven medically or scientifically."

If a conscripted police officer is injured during combat or combat-equivalent duties and dies after discharge, they were previously not recognized as a war casualty, but now they can be recognized as such.

This is based on the judgment that it is necessary to strengthen the respect and treatment for those who served the country.

It also considered the fact that the "Public Officials' Industrial Accident Compensation Act" includes public officials who die from work-related injuries sustained during employment after retirement as duty-related deaths.

The National Police Agency has been applying the partially revised "Conscripted Police Management Regulations (National Police Agency Directive)" to the review of duty-related death and injury cases of conscripted police officers since last December.

The Korea Coast Guard is currently undergoing the revision process for related regulations.

Kwon Geunsang, Director of the Grievance Handling Bureau at the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, said, "We will do our best to improve the treatment of conscripted police officers," adding, "We will analyze the causes of repeatedly received complaints and collaborate with related agencies to seek concrete improvement measures."