Police Agency Anti-Corruption Video Meeting: "Overall Police Image Damaged by Few Cases"

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] The Anti-Corruption Council of the National Police Agency held a video conference meeting on the 24th with external members and citizen auditors participating.

This meeting was organized to share the views of citizen auditors on the level of police anti-corruption and integrity based on their activities over the past year, as well as suggestions for anti-corruption policies, and to reflect these in the establishment of a mid- to long-term anti-corruption promotion plan.

The citizen auditor system was introduced in 2019 to improve police integrity from the perspective of citizens, and currently, 72 members are active nationwide.

Citizen auditors generally evaluated the integrity awareness of police officers as high, but noted that incidents involving a small number of police officers implicated in corruption and misconduct, which have been publicized through the media, have damaged the overall image of the police.

Additionally, some citizen auditors emphasized that police behaviors such as ▲passive and habitual handling of duties and ▲unfriendliness are perceived by the public as corrupt acts, highlighting the need for systematic and substantial integrity education activation and active support.

Kim Ho-seung, Audit Officer of the National Police Agency, stated, "We will continue to do our best to equip ourselves with integrity that meets the public's expectations by promoting citizen participation in anti-corruption policies."