Calls for Police Reform Grow Louder... Internal Discipline Issues Like 'Drunk Driving and Assault' Persist

Internal Line Dismissed as 'Personal Deviation'
Experts: "Strengthen Punishment to Prevent Recurrence... Need for Regular Ethics Education for Public Officials"

Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min is answering reporters' questions after encouraging employees on their first day of work at the entrance of the Police Bureau in the Government Seoul Office building, Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 2nd. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Sehee] As a series of misconducts by active police officers have been revealed, there are criticisms that discipline has deteriorated beyond limits.

Seoul Police: '5 Cases' of Disciplinary Actions for Drunk Driving Until July This Year

According to the police on the 8th, it has been confirmed that five active Seoul police officers were disciplined for drunk driving from January to July this year.

A sergeant belonging to the Gwangjin Police Station in Seoul caused an accident by hitting a taxi while driving under the influence near Sangwangsimni Station in Seongdong-gu around 2 a.m. on the 6th. Police who responded to a witness report smelled alcohol and suspected drunk driving, requesting a breathalyzer test, but it is known that Mr. A ultimately refused. Accordingly, Mr. A was booked on charges of violating the Road Traffic Act (drunk driving and refusal to take a breathalyzer test).

If a person refuses a breathalyzer test to avoid punishment for drunk driving, they face imprisonment for one to five years or a fine ranging from 5 million to 20 million won.

On the 2nd, Sergeant B of the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul was arrested in the Gangnam Station parking lot after fleeing from the police while heavily intoxicated, starting from an apartment in Seongdong-gu. At the time of arrest, B's blood alcohol concentration was 0.199%, which is at the license cancellation level.

Besides these cases, there are also incidents of forcibly molesting junior female officers or assaulting junior police officers.

Despite Yoon Hee-geun, Nominee for Commissioner General of Police, Emphasizing 'Public Trust and Support' First... Misconduct Continues

Yoon Hee-geun, the nominee for Commissioner General of Police, stated in a written response submitted to the National Assembly, "Sexual harassment and sexual violence incidents within the organization act as fatal risk factors to police trust," and added, "I will conduct gender equality standard education by rank." He said that public trust and support must precede improvements in police treatment, such as salary increases.

Within the police, there are voices of self-reflection, but on the other hand, some dismiss the issues as individual deviations rather than organizational problems. A police executive at a frontline station in Seoul said, "There are limits to commanding an organization of 130,000 police officers," and added, "Even if chiefs and commissioners emphasize public service ethics, there will be people who do not comply."

Experts say that the leadership must actively engage in improving organizational culture. Professor Lee Woong-hyuk of Konkuk University's Department of Police Science said, "At a time when the establishment of the Police Bureau is controversial and the Commissioner General position is vacant, public trust is even more important," and added, "Strengthening recruitment aptitude tests and regularizing ethics education for public officials must be implemented."

Professor Kwak Dae-kyung of Dongguk University's Department of Police Science said, "Police officers who investigate criminals must set an example," and added, "Wrong behaviors should be punished more strictly to prevent recurrence."