-"Must be trusted with systems and institutions matching responsibilities... Police system operated according to the Constitution and laws"
-Mentioned improvements such as base salary increase and rationalization of job structure... "Fair opportunities in promotion and assignment"
[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] President Yoon Seok-yeol, who has taken a tough stance on the establishment of the Police Bureau, stated on the 19th, "The police must break away from outdated practices and establish an organizational management system based on democratic procedures." Marking his 100th day in office, President Yoon promised a thorough reform and conveyed the legitimacy of creating the Police Bureau within the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, which is interpreted as an attempt to change the tense atmosphere with frontline police officers. President Yoon also proposed improvements such as raising the basic salary of police officers and rationalizing the job structure.
On the same day, President Yoon attended the 310th graduation ceremony held at the Central Police Academy in Chungju, Chungbuk, and said, "The authority of the police has greatly expanded both quantitatively and qualitatively, and now we must establish systems and institutions that correspond to their responsibilities to become a police force trusted by the people." This graduation ceremony was the first police officer graduation ceremony attended by President Yoon since his inauguration, and First Lady Kim Keon-hee was also present.
President Yoon’s attendance at the Central Police Academy graduation, rather than the Police University which produces police executives, is understood as a gesture to celebrate the first steps of the majority of police officers who graduate from this educational institution, while also conveying the government’s determination to establish the Police Bureau. At the 100-day briefing on the 17th, President Yoon explained, "Police work has moved away from unofficial control practices, and the Police Bureau has been established within the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to be controlled by the people and the National Assembly."
This move is also seen as an effort to resolve the uncomfortable relationship with frontline police officers who had collectively opposed the establishment of the Police Bureau. Until now, President Yoon had strongly criticized the collective actions of frontline police officers as "a serious disruption of national discipline," but on this day, he emphasized, "The government will operate the police system in accordance with the Constitution and laws," and "We will guarantee the neutrality of the police."
His mention of improving police treatment is in the same context. President Yoon said, "We will raise the basic salary of police officers to the level of public security officials and introduce a multiple rank system to rationalize the job structure." In addition, he promised measures to provide fair opportunities for promotion and job assignments to police officers who started as patrol officers working on the front lines of crime scenes, as well as strengthened government support to enhance field policing capabilities.
President Yoon said, "The uniform you police officers wear carries the heavy meaning that the state is always with the people wherever needed," and added, "I ask you to devote your utmost efforts to your fundamental duty of maintaining the nation's law and order."
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