Police Agency Forms 'Police Grand Innovation TF' to Prevent a Second Itaewon Disaster...

The Seoul Seodaemun-gu Police Agency building Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] The National Police Agency announced on the 9th that it has formed a 'Police Grand Innovation Task Force (TF)' to prevent the recurrence of incidents similar to the Itaewon disaster.

The TF is co-chaired by external experts and former police administrators (Chief Superintendent General), with all bureau chiefs at the director-general level of the National Police Agency participating as members. It is subdivided into ▲ Crowd Management Improvement Team ▲ Situation Management and Reporting System Reform Team ▲ Organizational Culture Innovation and Work Competency Enhancement Team to derive innovation plans by field. The National Police Agency plans to operate a general management team directly under Deputy Commissioner Woo Jong-su to implement the innovation plans proposed by the TF.

According to the National Police Agency, the Crowd Management Improvement Team will establish standards for predicting and assessing risks such as mass gatherings and disasters. Additionally, it plans to revise the police safety management manual, including situations of 'mass gatherings without organizers.' The team will also be responsible for establishing 'step-by-step order maintenance' measures according to crowd size.

The Situation Management and Reporting System Reform Team will analyze problems throughout the 112 emergency call dispatch and response process, focusing on strengthening on-site response capabilities. Various measures, including a full-time situation room chief system, will be reviewed to enhance situation management and command capabilities, aiming for a complete overhaul of the reporting system.

The Organizational Culture Innovation and Work Competency Enhancement Team will promote the recruitment and development of specialized personnel to strengthen response capabilities in special and professional fields such as disaster situations. It also plans to establish a practical workplace education system tailored to each police station to normalize situation management and command training by type.

A National Police Agency official stated, "We will establish a comprehensive innovation plan within the year and implement it without delay. Structural issues revealed in the inspection and investigation results of the Special Inspection Team and Special Investigation Headquarters will also be immediately reflected to enhance the effectiveness of the plan."