Ministry of Interior and Safety Police Bureau Launched... Kim Sunho, First Director, Says "I Consider It Destiny"

"30 Years in Police Service, the Greatest Burden"
First Step for Non-Police Academy Sergeant Recruitment
Restoring Organizational Trust is the Biggest Challenge
Police Commission "Concerns Not Reflected"

The Police Bureau, an organization responsible for police affairs within the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, officially launched on the 2nd. The photo shows the office of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety Police Bureau set up inside the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] "I am well aware of the concerns of my fellow police officers and the public, so I feel a heavy sense of responsibility."

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety's Police Bureau officially launched on the 2nd. Kim Sun-ho, the first Police Bureau Chief, after arriving at the Police Bureau office set up at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, spoke with Asia Economy in the morning, saying, "I consider the mission of being Police Bureau Chief as my destiny." He added, "The position of Police Bureau Chief is the most burdensome among the roles I have held during my 30 years in the police service," and stated, "I will do my best to fulfill my duties so that stepping down from this position will be a blessing." Along with Kim, the 15 Police Bureau staff members announced the previous day also reported to the bureau and began their work.

Kim is a non-Police University graduate who entered the police force through the rank-and-file recruitment system. Looking at the 11 police officers excluding the four civil servants under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, only one is a Police University graduate: Chief Superintendent Woo Ji-wan (Head of the Autonomous Police Support Division). The largest group is five officers recruited as patrol officers, followed by three from the executive candidate program, and one each from the judicial examination and law school backgrounds. This reflects the Ministry's intention to pursue 'Police University reform' as a future task.

Kim Sun-ho, the inaugural Minister of the Interior and Safety's Police Bureau, is entering the Police Bureau office set up at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 2nd. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

The Police Bureau is a separate department within the Ministry of the Interior and Safety responsible for police affairs. It guarantees the Minister of the Interior and Safety's authority to command and supervise the Commissioner General of the National Police Agency and handles matters such as recommending appointments for police officers of rank Chief Superintendent and above. The establishment of such a department within the Ministry comes 31 years after the National Police Agency became independent from the Security Headquarters of the Ministry of Home Affairs in 1991. The Ministry announced the creation of the Police Bureau the day before, stating, "This signifies normalizing the national police administration by moving away from the unofficial police control methods used by past governments and establishing a rule-of-law system based on the Constitution and laws."

The biggest challenge facing the Police Bureau is regaining trust from the police organization. Frontline police officers have expressed concerns that the establishment of the Police Bureau would concentrate personnel and command authority in the hands of the Minister of the Interior and Safety, undermining police autonomy and independence. The opposition was significant enough to hold an unprecedented nationwide police chiefs' meeting. Minister Lee promised, "I will do my utmost to support police officers so that they do not lose their pride and can focus solely on protecting the safety and human rights of the people."

On the 2nd, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's Police Bureau was launched, and at the Seoul Seodaemun-gu Police Agency, Kim Ho-cheol, Chairman of the National Police Commission, held a press conference expressing regret over the enforcement of the Police Bureau. Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

The National Police Commission expressed concerns about the launch of the Police Bureau. The Commission held a press conference at the National Police Agency in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, stating, "Despite continuously raising issues regarding legal and legislative system problems, none of these opinions were reflected in the implementation, which we regret," and added, "We will actively consider measures to restore the legality of police administration." The Commission also urged the prompt enactment of the "Act on the Organization and Operation of the National Police and Autonomous Police," currently submitted to the National Assembly, to make the Commission more effective.

Meanwhile, the National Police Agency carried out personnel transfers of Senior Superintendents the day before. Oh Moon-gyo, Head of the Autonomous Police Division at the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency, was appointed as the National Police Agency spokesperson. The previous spokesperson, Senior Superintendent Ban Ki-soo, was assigned as the Chief of Bundang Police Station at the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency. Noh Gyu-ho, Head of the Investigation Division at the Chungbuk Provincial Police Agency, was appointed as the Head of the Investigation Division at the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency, overseeing investigations related to Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Jae-myung.