"22 Police Commissioners Promoted, Over Half Graduated from Police University (Comprehensive)"

The police flag of the Seoul Seodaemun-gu Police Agency is fluttering in the wind. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] On the 3rd, the National Police Agency appointed 22 police colonels, including Park Jung-hee, Director of Informatization Equipment at the Busan Police Agency, as candidates for promotion to police commissioner.

At the headquarters, Kim Ho-seung, Audit Officer; Shim Han-cheol, Chief of Security Division; Kim Dong-kwon, Public Relations Officer; Jeong Chang-wook, Chief of Future Policing Policy Division; Song Young-ho, Chief of Anti-Corruption and Public Crime Investigation Division; Park Dong-hyun, Chief of Security Division; Yang Young-woo, Welfare Policy Officer; and Lee Jong-gyu, Forensic Science Officer were each promoted to police commissioner, known as the "Star of the Police."

At the Seoul Police Agency, Kwak Byung-woo, Public Relations Officer; Yoo Seung-ryeol, Police Affairs Planning at the Police Affairs Department; Do Joon-soo, Chief of Police Affairs Planning Division; Park Hyun-soo, Police Affairs Planning at the Police Affairs Department; Yang Tae-eon, Chief of Security Investigation Division; Mo Sang-myo, Officer in charge of Inspection, Audit, and Human Rights; and Kang Il-won, Commander of the 2nd Mobile Unit were named on the promotion list.

In the provinces, seven officers were promoted to police commissioner, led by Director Park Jung-hee, including Yoo Hee-jung, Director of Police Affairs Planning and Informatization Equipment at the Gyeonggi Northern Provincial Police Agency; Kim Byung-chan, Officer in charge of Inspection, Audit, and Human Rights at the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency; Kim Cheol-moon, Chief of Chungju Police Station at the Chungnam Provincial Police Agency; Jeong Seong-su, Autonomous Police Department at the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency; Jeong Seong-hak, Chief of Investigation Division at the Busan Police Agency; and Kim Hyung-gi, Chief of Goyang Police Station at the Gyeonggi Northern Provincial Police Agency.

By career entry route, 12 officers (54.5%) are graduates of the Korean National Police University, the largest group, followed by 5 from the Executive Candidate Course, 4 from the general service, and 1 from the state examination. Among them, Director Park Jung-hee joined as a patrol officer in 1988 and was promoted to police commissioner after 35 years. Initially, it was expected that non-Korean National Police University graduates would be favored under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration's policy, but since most colonels are graduates of the Police University, there seemed to be limitations.

The police commissioner is the fourth highest police rank after Commissioner General, Senior Commissioner, and Commissioner, and is known as the "Star of the Police." The National Police Agency plans to complete personnel transfers for police commissioners, including the newly promoted candidates, as well as promotions and transfers for colonels, and will also carry out regular personnel changes continuing through the first half of this year.