[Exclusive] National Police Agency Reorganizes Seoul Metropolitan Police's Gwangsu Unit into 5 Divisions... Plans to Separate Anti-Corruption and Public Crime Units

No Integration of Violent Crime Investigation Unit and Drug Crime Investigation Unit
Expansion from 4 Investigation Units to 5 Units

The National Police Agency has confirmed that it is pushing to expand the Metropolitan Investigation Unit under the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency by separating the Anti-Corruption and Public Crime Investigation Unit into distinct investigative teams, thereby increasing the number of Metropolitan Investigation Units in the Seoul Police Agency to five.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

According to a comprehensive report by Asia Economy on the 24th, the National Police Agency plans to finalize an organizational restructuring plan within the first half of this year that divides the Anti-Corruption and Public Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency into an Anti-Corruption Investigation Unit and a Public Crime Investigation Unit.

A National Police Agency official stated, "We believe it will be difficult to merge the Violent Crime Investigation Unit and the Narcotics Crime Investigation Unit," and added, "We are considering a plan to separate the Anti-Corruption and Public Crime Investigation Unit and operate five Metropolitan Investigation Units." If this plan is finalized, it is expected to be implemented after consultations with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, and the National Assembly.

Currently, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Metropolitan Investigation Unit operates four investigative teams: the Financial Crime Investigation Unit, the Violent Crime Investigation Unit, the Narcotics Crime Investigation Unit, and the Anti-Corruption and Public Crime Investigation Unit. Among these, the Anti-Corruption and Public Crime Investigation Unit investigates major corruption crimes related to public officials and election crimes. Additionally, it sometimes initiates investigations based on intelligence gathered.

The push to separate the Anti-Corruption and Public Crime Investigation Unit is due to the high volume of related cases and their significance as social issues, making the investigations highly important. The police also see a long-term need to strengthen investigative organizations such as the Metropolitan Investigation Units in local police agencies.

Currently, the Anti-Corruption and Public Crime Investigation Unit is investigating Yang Bu-nam, the legal committee chairman of the Democratic Party of Korea, on charges of receiving high legal fees, and former National Intelligence Service Director Park Ji-won on charges of abuse of power and obstruction of rights. The plan is to conduct even more thorough investigations into cases involving politicians and other matters of high public interest.

Previously, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency proposed to the National Police Agency a restructuring plan to integrate the Violent Crime Investigation Unit and the Narcotics Crime Investigation Unit into a Violent and Narcotics Crime Investigation Unit, while separating the Anti-Corruption and Public Crime Investigation Unit into a distinct investigative team. However, this plan was reportedly not adopted internally.

This is because drug-related crimes have recently surged, and there is strong opposition to the integration within the Violent and Narcotics Crime Investigation Units. After gathering opinions from the investigative team leadership and operational members, it was found that all 79 members of the Violent Crime Investigation Unit opposed the merger, and over 90% of the Narcotics Crime Investigation Unit members also opposed it.

Even if the Metropolitan Investigation Unit is expanded, the decision on whether to increase investigative personnel will be made through coordination with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and others. The police acknowledge that separating the two investigative teams would require additional personnel, but if no increase in staff is granted, they are considering reallocating existing investigators. The police hold discussions on organizational restructuring with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety once a year.

Within the police, there is a welcoming atmosphere toward the expansion of the Metropolitan Investigation Unit. A Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Metropolitan Investigation Unit official said, "Cases handled by the Anti-Corruption and Public Crime Investigation Unit often involve sensitive matters and take a long time to investigate," adding, "Separating the two investigative teams will also strengthen investigative capabilities."

However, some express concerns that if there is no increase in investigative personnel, dividing the organization will not result in any substantial change. A Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Metropolitan Investigation Unit official said, "Due to the nature of intelligence-based investigative departments, if there is a shortage of investigative personnel, it will be difficult to timely initiate and conduct official investigations following intelligence gathering and preliminary inquiries."