Police to Double Number of Forensic Examiners for 'Unnatural Death Investigations'... Hiring 143 This Year

Expansion of Recruitment to Strengthen Investigative Expertise

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] The police have decided to significantly increase the number of forensic investigators to strengthen the expertise in investigating unattended deaths.

The National Police Agency's National Investigation Headquarters (NIH) announced on the 19th that following the recruitment of 65 new forensic investigators with nursing and clinical pathology qualifications in the first half of this year, additional hires will be made in the second half, totaling 143 recruits for the year.

Currently, 139 forensic investigators are working at city and provincial police agencies nationwide. The position was first introduced in 2005, with primary duties including investigating the cause of death immediately after an unattended death occurs and determining the necessity of an autopsy.

Although there have been limitations in rapid and systematic on-site response due to manpower issues, the deployment of 143 new forensic investigators this year will double the current workforce (from 139 to 282), significantly enhancing the investigative capabilities for unattended death cases.

The newly hired forensic investigators will undergo specialized training at the Police Investigation Academy and the National Forensic Service, followed by field training at city and provincial police agencies, and are scheduled to be officially deployed to unattended death scenes starting in December.

Additionally, to strengthen expertise across various investigative fields, the police plan to expand the recruitment of experienced professionals in areas such as law and cyber investigations through competitive hiring, aiming to recruit 332 officers across 14 fields this year.

In particular, due to amendments in the Criminal Procedure Act, which are expected to increase demand for legal experts in case reviews and responses to major incidents, the number of lawyer recruits will be increased from 20 to 40. Furthermore, in response to the surge in cyber drug offenders, a new recruitment category for cyber drug investigations has been established.

A NIH official stated, "We will continue to recruit experts from various fields as investigative police officers to enhance human capabilities."