Graduation Ceremony of Central Police Academy Class 310... 2,280 Deployed to Security Sites

Female Police Officer Following Her Fallen Father
Former National Judo Representative Draws Attention

President Yoon Suk-yeol responds with a salute to the graduate's salute at the 310th graduation ceremony held on the 19th at the Central Police Academy in Chungju, Chungbuk.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Jo] On the 19th, the Central Police Academy held the graduation ceremony for the 310th class of new police officers at the Central Police Academy Grand Stadium in Suanbo-myeon, Chungju-si, Chungbuk.

The ceremony was attended by President Yoon Seok-yeol and First Lady Kim Geon-hee, along with 2,280 new police graduates (1,708 men and 572 women), police leadership, and about 9,000 family members of the graduates. Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, Commissioner of the National Police Agency Yoon Hee-geun, Chairman of the National Assembly’s Public Administration and Security Committee Lee Chae-ik, and Chairman of the National Police Commission Kim Ho-cheol also attended as guests. President Yoon personally pinned the badge on Police Officer Shin Soo-young (41, male) and Police Officer Choi Seon-young (32, female), who took the oath of service on behalf of the graduates, encouraging the new police officers as they took their first steps toward the field of public safety.

Among the graduates, Police Officer Oh Chae-eun (24, female) received the President’s Award as the top overall performer. Police Officer Jeon Da-hye (29, female), who ranked second overall, and Police Officer Yoo Seong-heon (24, male), who ranked third overall, received the Minister of the Interior and Safety Award and the National Police Agency Commissioner’s Award, respectively. Top graduate Officer Oh will be assigned to Jeonju Deokjin Police Station under Jeonbuk Police Agency, and second-place Officer Jeon will be assigned to Sejong Nambu Police Station under Chungnam Police Agency.

Although not listed among the awardees, many new police officers in the 310th class have their own unique stories. Police Officer Hong Joo-hee (24, female) is known as the child of the late Police Inspector Hong Jun-pyo, who died in the line of duty after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage while on duty. Officer Hong said, "I reflected on my father’s words that 'the police are the ones who run first to the darkest places.'"

Police Officer Kim Seong-min (35, male) is a former national judo athlete who won gold medals at the 2014 Incheon Asian Games and the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games. Officer Kim expressed his ambition, saying, "After 15 years as a national judo athlete, I will live the next 30 years as a national representative for public safety." Police Officer Kim Dae-hwan (36, male) has a unique background as a former regional broadcaster and news anchor. Officer Kim stated, "I will become a warm guardian who upholds law and principles while conveying kindness and warmth to the local community."

Of the 2,280 graduates, 1,696 were appointed after passing the open competitive recruitment exam, 120 were assigned to the 101st Security Unit, and 464 were appointed through career competitive recruitment in 13 fields including police administration, tax accounting, martial arts, shooting, security investigation, and law. The graduates received about eight months of practical training from late December last year to this month, covering legal subjects necessary for criminal law proceedings and field-required skills such as shooting and arrest techniques. They will be assigned to police agencies across various cities and provinces nationwide.