Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min is delivering opening remarks at a discussion on the establishment of the Police Bureau held at the Gwangju Police Agency building on the afternoon of the 6th.
[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min visited the Gwangju Police Agency building around 2:30 p.m. on the 6th.
This was to gather opinions from frontline police officers before finalizing the plan to establish a 'Police Bureau' on the 15th. The outline of the new organization will be revealed in just nine days.
At the discussion held in the Mudeung Hall on the 5th floor of the building, Minister Lee shook hands and greeted all 50 attendees, including Im Yong-hwan, Chief of Gwangju Police Agency, and Park Jung-soo, Chairman of the Workplace Council.
In his opening remarks, Minister Lee said, "We aim to abolish the Blue House's Civil Affairs Secretary and Security Secretary and conduct administration transparently according to the Constitution and laws."
He continued, "The establishment of a police affairs organization within the Ministry of the Interior and Safety will not change anything on the frontline of public safety, nor will it create new control over the police. What is changing is that the previously unofficial and improperly operated direct police command and supervision by the Blue House will now be exercised officially by the Minister of the Interior and Safety according to procedures established by the Constitution and laws."
Regarding the new organization, he emphasized, "It will be composed of about 15 to 20 people, and it is absurd to say that it will control and dominate 130,000 police officers. There will be no changes on the frontline of public safety nor any new control imposed on the police."
He also added, "A system is in place to ensure that no one, including the Minister of the Interior and Safety, can influence investigations into individual cases."
After Minister Lee's opening remarks, the discussion was closed to the public, and after the event, a commemorative photo was taken with police officials in the first-floor lobby.
As Minister Lee left the building, the expressions of frontline police officers immediately changed.
The police control plan, in which the Ministry of the Interior and Safety intends to actively exercise personnel authority, inspection authority, and disciplinary authority, raised the biggest concern that it could create a 'political police.' The logic is that it would make police officers defer to a 'higher authority' rather than the Police Commissioner.
There were concerns that this could follow a similar path to the prosecution, where it is difficult to expect political neutrality due to the Minister of Justice effectively holding personnel authority.
Park Jung-soo, Chairman of the Workplace Council, said in a meeting with reporters, "Although Minister Lee came to listen to voices from the field, it seems that the establishment of the Police Bureau will proceed as planned."
He said this occasion was merely a 'token gesture' to avoid procedural flaws amid growing opposition centered on the police labor union.
He warned, "Personnel control dominates and exercises everything in the organization. Even if Minister Lee's intentions are pure and good, looking at the Ministry of Justice case, there are significant concerns. Due to the nature of the police organization, which operates under the unified command of the Police Commissioner or local police chiefs, ultimately personnel control will dominate and control all police."
He raised his voice, saying, "Political neutrality of investigative agencies must be guaranteed through power decentralization and maintaining independent status, but there is a continuous attempt to revert to the past."
He also pointed out problems with the discussion format. Chairman Park said, "It is difficult for frontline police officers to speak frankly in meetings attended by the Police Commissioner, Public Safety Department Chief, Investigation Department Chief, and Autonomous Police Department Chief. I hope this aspect will be improved in discussions held in other regions."
Minister Lee is scheduled to listen to field voices at the Seoul Riot Police Unit on the 8th and at the Gyeongbuk Police Agency on the 12th.
Meanwhile, the 'Police System Improvement Advisory Committee,' an advisory body to the Minister of the Interior and Safety, released recommendations last month that include ▲establishing a police-related support organization within the Ministry of the Interior and Safety ▲enacting rules for the Minister of the Interior and Safety to command affiliated agencies ▲forming a police senior officer candidate recommendation committee and granting disciplinary request authority.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
