Police Chief Expresses Regret Over Jeong Soon-shin's Fall... Widespread Calls for Resignation Amid Disconnected Remarks

"Watching the organization collapse, I believe it is necessary for the incompetent Police Commissioner, who cannot even speak out with conviction, to acknowledge this himself and step down."

"A surge of indignation rises in my heart. Has the organization ever been driven to such a brink?"

Amid the fallout over the dismissal of the Head of the National Investigation Headquarters, criticism against Police Commissioner Yoon Hee-geun, who holds primary responsibility for personnel screening, is intensifying. As the police organization was shaken by inadequate personnel verification, voices demanding his resignation are expected to spread, especially since he expressed only regret by saying it was "unfortunate" rather than taking responsibility as the recommender.

Yoon Hee-geun, Commissioner of the National Police Agency, is listening to questions from reporters on the morning of the 27th at the National Police Agency in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the morning of the 27th, Commissioner Yoon met with reporters in the lobby of the Police Agency in Migeun-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, and expressed his position on Attorney Jung Soon-shin’s voluntary resignation following the controversy over her son’s school violence record, saying, "I find it unfortunate." He stated that he was "completely unaware" of the school violence issue involving Attorney Jung’s son. The son had been transferred during high school due to school violence, and Attorney Jung had contested this by acting as a legal representative, taking the administrative lawsuit all the way to the Supreme Court. As the recommender, Commissioner Yoon essentially expressed only "regret" for failing to filter this out.

The Head of the National Investigation Headquarters, who commands and oversees police investigations, undergoes verification by the Police Personnel Recommendation Review Committee (the Review Committee). The Review Committee conducts interviews with applicants, including internal members of the rank of Senior Superintendent General or higher and external experts, who verify resumes and business plans. Afterward, the Police Commissioner recommends one candidate based on the results, followed by the Minister of the Interior and Safety’s proposal and the President’s appointment, completing the selection process. Despite internal opposition, Commissioner Yoon, who recommended Attorney Jung, a former prosecutor, as the sole candidate, is effectively the primary person responsible for personnel screening. Regarding this, a police insider commented, "The Police Commissioner, who should bear heavy responsibility for the dismissal of the Head of the National Investigation Headquarters, expressed regret as if it were an issue of another ministry, which is a form of disassociation," adding, "Is this not aligning with the Presidential Office’s official stance of 'regret' issued the day before?"

When Commissioner Yoon visited the National Assembly to attend the Intelligence Committee on the same day, he said, "I was completely unaware of Attorney Jung’s son’s school violence record." However, responsibility for failing to grasp the issue, which surfaced in media reports five years ago, has already been raised. Within the police, where there was fierce opposition to appointing a former prosecutor to the position of Head of the National Investigation Headquarters, voices demanding Commissioner Yoon’s resignation are emerging.

The National Workplace Police Council criticized in a statement released the previous afternoon, "If Commissioner Yoon is undermining the neutrality of the police, which is protected by the Constitution and laws, he must not forget that he can no longer fulfill his duties as Police Commissioner." The statement included supportive comments such as, "Watching the organization collapse while unable to speak out with conviction, he should acknowledge that he is an incompetent Police Commissioner and step down."

Regarding the calls for his resignation from within the police, Commissioner Yoon said, "I am always contemplating my position." However, it seems unlikely that he will immediately resign and take responsibility for this personnel fiasco. When asked how he plans to manage internal opposition, he said, "First, I will promptly proceed with selecting a successor for the Head of the National Investigation Headquarters to avoid any gaps," implying that he intends to continue fulfilling his duties as the recommender.

Going forward, calls for Commissioner Yoon’s resignation are expected to spread within the police. Dissatisfaction among internal members has been accumulating since the establishment of the Police Bureau under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and earlier this month, the police faced turmoil over allegations of "retaliatory demotions" during the transfer of senior superintendents. Against this backdrop, his remarks expressing only "regret" over Attorney Jung’s resignation and the related events are likely to intensify the criticism.

Meanwhile, the Police Agency is reportedly keeping both reapplication and internal selection open as options for appointing the next Head of the National Investigation Headquarters. Some speculate that, since external recruitment failed, the agency may now focus on internal selection for the appointment process. According to the "Act on the Organization and Operation of the National Police and Autonomous Police," external recruitment for the Head of the National Investigation Headquarters is only to be conducted "when necessary."