Final Steps in Lengthy Police Personnel Changes... Full Effort for Organizational Stabilization

The police personnel reshuffle, which had been unusually prolonged due to various incidents, accidents, and organizational restructuring, has entered its final stage. As public anxiety grows, stabilizing the organization has emerged as the top priority to maintain a stable public safety situation. In particular, attention is focused on the roles of the newly established Mobile Patrol Unit and Criminal Mobile Unit created through the organizational restructuring.

Will it ease public anxiety? Attention on Mobile Patrol Unit and Criminal Mobile Unit

The newly established units, including the Mobile Patrol Unit and Criminal Mobile Unit, which have completed reorganization, are beginning full-scale operations. The National Police Agency deployed 2,668 personnel across 28 Mobile Patrol Unit teams and 1,335 personnel across 43 Criminal Mobile Unit teams during last year’s organizational restructuring.

The Mobile Patrol Unit is deployed intensively in crime-prone areas and crowded places identified through internal crime data analysis, regardless of jurisdictional boundaries. The Criminal Mobile Unit focuses on field detective activities such as intelligence gathering and recognition, mainly in crime-vulnerable areas, and concentrates on investigating major cases during normal times.

The police plan to intensively deploy the Mobile Patrol Unit or Criminal Mobile Unit when public safety demands surge. Considering the recent public concern following attacks on politicians, they will also focus on securing safety at election campaign venues and preventing threats to key figures ahead of the April 10 general election.

Counterintelligence investigation authority transferred, but concerns linger over Security Investigation Bureau

The authority to investigate violations of the National Security Act, including espionage cases?known as the ‘counterintelligence investigation authority’?was fully transferred from the National Intelligence Service (NIS) to the police last month. While the NIS will focus on its role as an intelligence agency and the police on their role as an investigative agency, some initial trial and error is expected.

In fact, the National Police Agency struggled for over a month even to organize the Security Investigation Bureau. Given this situation, concerns are growing about whether the police can properly handle espionage investigations, which were previously the main responsibility of the NIS.

It is especially uncertain how well the NIS’s overseas intelligence will be integrated into police investigations. The police maintain that since they have cooperated steadily with the NIS, problems will not arise as much as feared. A police official stated, “The police and NIS have cooperated well and will continue to maintain that cooperative relationship. We will establish regular meetings at the director-general level and hold frequent meetings among working-level officials to ensure communication.”

Additionally, the National Police Agency plans to select specialized personnel to enhance investigative capabilities. The total number of police personnel engaged in security investigations increased from 724 last year to 1,127 this year. Recently, some investigators from the Security Investigation Unit were dismissed, and new personnel are being recruited. The agency also intends to strengthen expertise by utilizing the ongoing ‘Security Investigator Qualification Management System.’

Adaptation period shorter than usual... National events like general elections imminent

As of the 19th, most personnel reshuffles at the National Police Agency have been completed. Once personnel changes at frontline police stations under city and provincial police agencies are finalized, they will immediately begin their duties. However, because the reshuffle occurred later than usual, the adaptation period, or so-called ‘honeymoon period,’ is shorter than in previous years.

The scope of personnel transfers due to organizational restructuring was also significant. The total number of personnel involved in this regular reshuffle included 608 at the superintendent level and 2,657 at the inspector level and below.

With less than two months remaining until the 22nd National Assembly election, the police are committed to focusing all efforts on stabilizing the organization. National Police Commissioner Yoon Hee-geun recently stated at a press briefing, “While it may not be 100% satisfactory, we had some time to prepare. We will address issues arising in the field and ultimately strengthen on-site public safety capabilities so that citizens can enjoy peaceful daily lives.”