Abolition of Individual Case Investigation Command Authority by the Commissioner of the Korean National Police Agency
Introduction of Qualification Management System for Police Investigators
Minister of the Interior and Safety Jin-young (from the left), Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae, and Director of the National Intelligence Service Park Ji-won are listening to President Moon Jae-in's remarks at the 2nd National Intelligence Service, Prosecution, and Police Reform Strategy Meeting held at the Blue House on the afternoon of the 21st. [Image source=Yonhap News]
[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] To check the increasingly extensive authority of the police following the adjustment of investigative rights between the prosecution and the police, a 'National Investigation Headquarters' will be established to serve as the police investigation control tower. Within the National Investigation Headquarters, the establishment of a Security Investigation Bureau is being pursued.
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced on the afternoon of the 21st, at the '2nd National Intelligence Service, Prosecution, and Police Reform Strategy Meeting' held at the Blue House, that it discussed and decided on future plans for police reform.
At the meeting, plans were discussed to promptly complete follow-up measures for investigative rights reform, as the amended Criminal Procedure Act and Prosecution Act, which abolish prosecutors' investigative command and recognize the police's primary investigative rights, are set to be implemented in January next year.
The government will first establish the National Investigation Headquarters to comprehensively command and supervise police investigative departments in response to the increased responsibilities of the police. The National Investigation Headquarters is expected to further enhance the professionalism and efficiency of police investigations by integrating and operating investigative functions that were scattered across various departments such as investigation, community safety, traffic, and security within the police.
The head of the National Investigation Headquarters will serve a fixed term and the position will be open to external experts. They will command and supervise city and provincial police chiefs, police station chiefs, and public officials belonging to investigative departments regarding investigations, thereby establishing a professional investigative command system.
Along with this, the individual investigative command authority of the Commissioner General of the National Police Agency over specific cases will be abolished in principle to secure neutrality and independence in investigations.
Additionally, in preparation for the transfer of counterintelligence investigative authority from the National Intelligence Service, the police's security investigation capabilities will be enhanced based on the concept of 'new security,' and the establishment of a Security Investigation Bureau within the National Investigation Headquarters will also be pursued.
To increase public trust in police investigations, a comprehensive innovation of the police investigation system will be promoted. Strict internal and external control systems will be introduced throughout the investigation process, including decisions not to prosecute and compulsory investigations, to strengthen human rights protection. A 'Investigator Qualification Management System' will be fully implemented to enhance the police's investigative capabilities. A 'Comprehensive Evaluation System for Investigative Command Competency' will also be established to reflect the competency evaluations of investigation department chiefs and team leaders in personnel decisions.
Furthermore, for important cases, a 'local police agency-centered investigation system' will be established, and specialized investigative teams by type, such as crime proceeds tracking investigation and cyber financial crime investigation teams, will be expanded and operated.
Minister of the Interior and Safety Jin Young emphasized, "We promise that by prioritizing public safety and maintaining stable public order, we will complete police reform unwaveringly so that the police will be reborn solely as an institution for the people."
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