[Ministry of the Interior and Safety Report] Local Police System to be Implemented in July... Vaccine Reservation KakaoTalk Notification

Support for Enactment of Autonomous Police Ordinances and Launch of Provincial Autonomous Police Committees
224 Experts Added to Provincial Police Agencies for Direct Investigations in Finance and Trade
Vaccine Administration
Promotion of 'Resident Participation 3 Laws' Amendment... Aiming for Phase 2 Fiscal Decentralization Implementation in 2022

Minister Jeon Hae-cheol of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety inspected the preparation status for the promotion of autonomous police at the Chungbuk Provincial Police Agency in Cheongju, Chungbuk, on the afternoon of January 12. (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Han Jinju] From July, the autonomous police system will be implemented nationwide. The Ministry of the Interior and Safety (MOIS) will strengthen the capabilities of the police with investigative authority and expand the scope and personnel of direct investigations by metropolitan and provincial police agencies. To respond to COVID-19, vaccination status will be notified to the general public via KakaoTalk and other platforms, and reserve facilities will be secured in preparation for a shortage of hospital beds.

On the 8th, MOIS announced its 2021 work plan during the presidential briefing. MOIS stated it will promote ▲ police reform ▲ early overcoming of COVID-19 and innovation of disaster safety management systems ▲ implementation of Autonomy and Decentralization 2.0 ▲ and digital transformation government innovation.

Community-Oriented Policing and Expansion of Direct Investigation Scope by Metropolitan and Provincial Police Agencies

The 'autonomous police system,' which grants police authority to local governments, will be fully implemented from July. To decentralize police authority, operations will be divided into national police, autonomous police, and investigative police. Autonomous police will focus on providing security services such as community safety, traffic, and crime prevention patrols, while metropolitan crimes, economic crimes, intelligence, security, and foreign affairs will be handled by the national police. MOIS will support the enactment of ordinances by metropolitan and provincial governments, the launch of metropolitan and provincial autonomous police committees, and the allocation of subsidies. Furthermore, it plans to strengthen democratic control over police authority through bodies such as the National Police Commission and ensure political neutrality of the National Investigation Headquarters chief and metropolitan and provincial autonomous police committees.

Efforts to enhance investigative accountability will also be carried out simultaneously. A command system linking the National Investigation Headquarters, metropolitan and provincial police agencies, and police stations will be established, and the scope, organization, and personnel for direct investigations by metropolitan and provincial police agencies will be expanded. To this end, 224 additional personnel for direct investigations have been added. To improve the completeness of investigative closure rights, a triple review system will be introduced, including investigative reviewers and a Police Investigation Citizens Committee involving citizens and experts.

Lee Sang-ryul, MOIS Police Supervisor, explained, "The metropolitan and provincial police agencies will introduce a centralized command concept and conduct investigative command through specialized personnel such as comprehensive response teams and investigative command teams." He added, "Each police agency will form specialized investigative units tailored to their circumstances. For example, the Seoul agency will focus on public and financial crimes, and Busan will operate specialized centers for customs and trade, with plans to expand investigative personnel in the future."

Vaccination Notifications via KakaoTalk... Securing Reserve Facilities for Pandemic Preparedness

MOIS will provide a 'National Secretary' service that notifies individuals of their vaccination appointment information via KakaoTalk, Naver app, and other platforms as early as the end of the second quarter. This service will inform people which hospital to visit after booking a vaccination and provide guidance on how to respond if adverse reactions occur. To overcome COVID-19 early, a collaborative system will be established to ensure smooth vaccine distribution, administration, and post-vaccination management, with ongoing monitoring of implementation status. Public vaccine-related data will also be opened to the private sector.

In preparation for a surge in confirmed cases, reserve facilities that can be immediately mobilized will be secured in addition to residential treatment centers. Considering quarantine and vaccination situations, special grants will be allocated to local governments, and infectious disease response personnel will be increased. The whole-of-government disaster safety budget will be raised to 20.6 trillion won this year, an increase of 3.1 trillion won from last year. After disasters occur, a comprehensive recovery system including relocation measures and community recovery plans will be established and implemented.

Expanding Resident Participation and Local Finance: 'Autonomy and Decentralization 2.0'

To implement Autonomy and Decentralization 2.0, amendments to the 'Three Resident Participation Acts' will be promoted to broaden residents' participation in local governance. Residents will be able to directly request the proposal, amendment, or repeal of ordinances to local councils. The Resident Recall Act will be amended to relax the vote count requirement for recall from one-third to one-fourth, and the Resident Referendum Act will be amended to expand the scope of voting subjects and relax the confirmation requirement from one-third to one-fourth.

Local finances will also be expanded through the second phase of fiscal decentralization. Adjustments are underway aiming for implementation in 2022, including restructuring the national-local tax system and reassigning functions between the national and local governments. Additionally, new revenue sources will be developed, such as expanding the scope of local resource facility taxes and strengthening delinquent tax collection using specific financial transaction information. A MOIS official explained, "Discussions are ongoing about raising tax rates on thermal power generation and newly imposing local resource facility taxes on cement and radioactive waste."

Efforts to expand CCTV and traffic signals in school zones and improve school routes will accelerate. Aiming for zero child deaths in school zones, unmanned traffic enforcement equipment will be installed at 8,859 locations by the end of this year, and school routes at 32 schools will be improved. By the end of this year, a comprehensive child safety plan (2022?2026) will be established to prepare detailed measures related to child safety. Emergency first aid training for workers at daycare centers and schools will also be mandated four times a year.

Identity Verification On and Offline with Mobile IDs

Mobile IDs will expand beyond driver's licenses and government employee IDs to include disability registration cards, national merit certificates, youth IDs, and foreigner registration cards. A system and institutional improvements will be pursued to enable identity verification both online and offline without physical ID cards. To respond to non-face-to-face work environments, a 5G national network will be established, and all information systems (185,000 information resources) of administrative and public institutions will be migrated to the cloud by 2025.

Digital transformation will also be expanded in civil service. The 'Subsidy24' service, which provides customized guidance on about 300 government subsidies, will be implemented. For digitally disadvantaged elderly people, offline civil service fee reductions will be promoted, and an inclusive civil service environment will be created by expanding unmanned civil service issuance machines accessible to people with disabilities and increasing foreign language civil service forms.

Minister Jeon Hae-cheol of MOIS said, "We will do our best to ensure that the police become an institution solely for the people and that citizens can regain a safe daily life as soon as possible. We will invigorate local communities by promoting the Regional Balanced New Deal and Autonomy and Decentralization 2.0, and accelerate government innovation leading digital transformation."