Korea's First Female Violent Crimes Unit Chief: "Face Fear... Overcome with Persistence" [Power K-Women]

Former Police Lieutenant Park Mi-ok: "Crisis Always Hides a Gift"
"No Need to Focus on Being a Woman... Fully Concentrate on Responsibility"
After Retirement, Moved to Jeju Island to Open a Bookstore and Start a New Life as an Artist Assistant

"I didn’t feel the need to recognize myself as a woman; I focused solely on responsibility and tried to get the job done no matter what."

Former Police Superintendent Park Mi-ok, who handled major cases that shook the public such as the escapee Shin Chang-won and serial killer Jeong Nam-gyu, is the first female detective chief. She is also the inspiration behind popular dramas like ‘Signal’ and ‘Those Who Read the Minds of Evil.’ Starting as a police officer at 19, she was known as a ‘legend’ among police officers for her rapid promotion to lieutenant within nine years. In 1991, when the female detective task force was established, she became the first female detective in the violent crimes division, and later, upon promotion to inspector, she became the first female detective chief. When we met at a caf? in Mapo-gu, Seoul on the 18th, Park said that becoming the first female detective chief was the result of ‘focusing on responsibility in every moment.’

- Back then, female police officers were quite unfamiliar. How did you decide to become a detective?

▲ I believed from a young age that a profession should align with one’s attitude toward life. I wanted to be either a journalist or a police officer. I was determined to do work that had social influence and gave meaning to my life. When I passed the police officer recruitment exam in 1987, there were no female officers in police stations nationwide. I’m from Yeongdeok, Gyeongbuk, a rural area, so I wasn’t aware of this situation and perhaps that’s why I wasn’t afraid to take on the challenge. Due to family circumstances, I thought about employment before university, and when I visited the Korea Employment Information Center in my second year of high school, I saw the phrase ‘high school graduates are also eligible,’ which made me decide to become a police officer.

- Among your over 30 years as a detective, which case stands out the most?

▲ The first murder scene I encountered remains unforgettable even after more than 30 years. It was in an alley in Yangcheon-gu, where the female victim’s clothes were completely stripped off, and the scene showed such raw suffering that feces were still present. At a time when female detectives were extremely rare, all eyes were on me as soon as I arrived, and that atmosphere is still vivid in my memory. It was a typical rape-induced death case. The moment I inserted a thermometer to measure the rectal temperature of the corpse was truly shocking. However, this case remains unsolved. Ten years later, when I became the team leader at Yangcheon Police Station, this was the first case I reopened.

Former Police Superintendent Park Mi-ok, in an interview with Asia Economy, was asked about advice she would give to her female juniors. She said, "Acknowledge your inexperience," emphasizing the need to build resilience developed through experience. Photo by Heo Younghan younghan@

- You are always referred to as the first female detective chief.

▲ It’s an honor that should go to those who have served a long time. There was rarity in being a woman, and I worked steadily for a long time. I was so busy becoming a detective that I had no female detective role models. I never really thought about the concept of being ‘the first.’ Nowadays, people don’t stay in one job for long, but since I met the conditions for that rank, if I hadn’t been assigned, that would have been a problem. Promotions came as I solved cases one by one, and when I fulfilled my role in one position, the next position followed.

- You were promoted to lieutenant in just nine years. How was that possible?

▲ I focused solely on responsibility as a detective and tried to get the job done no matter what. I considered victims as clients of my work and answered calls 24 hours a day. Once, overwhelmed by the desire to escape work, I took a trip by car but was so exhausted at Meeting Plaza that I fell asleep and returned home. When friends invited me to gatherings, I would say, ‘I’m working hard, panting like a dog on a summer day.’ I had no energy to chat, and that’s how I lost time.

- The perception of female detectives wasn’t always positive, was it?

▲ When I joined the special team for the Shin Chang-won case, I heard remarks like ‘Why did this pot (a derogatory term for women) come here?’ When I was the violent crimes chief at Gangnam Police Station, reporters mocked me, asking if it was a ‘lipstick effect.’ It was a time when prejudice against women was deeply ingrained in everyday life. Instead of backing down, I responded with phrases like ‘The teapot, please stay still’ or ‘Judge me by my skills.’ We all have our inherent limitations. I just thought, ‘That son must have been raised by such a mother,’ and moved on.

- When was the most difficult moment for you?

▲ The most despairing and difficult moment was during an oil theft case. I was in my late 20s when I handled this case, and there were many cases I truly didn’t understand. When I received intelligence about the theft, I was very motivated and, with the spirit of a sergeant, even summoned executives from Honam Refinery to work hard on solving the case, but ultimately, we couldn’t arrest the culprit. There was no odometer, so we couldn’t measure how many liters of oil were stolen or when. The culprit was a young man who even asked, ‘Can’t I just take a little from those who have?’ Saying theft is bad didn’t help. Because we couldn’t prove the total amount, we couldn’t arrest him, and I was very frustrated with the culprit in my youthful heart.

- You are also famous for investigating notorious criminals like Shin Chang-won and Jeong Nam-gyu. Any memorable episodes?

▲ These days, I’m cautious about talking about Shin Chang-won. I wonder if we should keep mentioning those people. Last year, Shin Chang-won attempted suicide in prison, and Jeong Nam-gyu also ended his life by suicide. Seeing them made me think about the ‘labeling theory.’ Before committing unforgivable crimes, no one asked those troubled youths why they acted that way; instead, they were labeled as delinquent students and punished physically. It’s a sad reality.

- You must have met many violent criminals. Weren’t you afraid? How did you overcome that?

▲ I was afraid too. But I wanted to give myself the gift of facing and overcoming that fear. Anxiety and fear are not tangible things but issues of the mind. I faced them head-on in the field. The moment you think, ‘It was fine last time, so it will be fine this time,’ you fail the case. Each case requires detailed planning, considering many variables and overcoming them. I actually fear those who are overly confident the most because they are the most likely to fail. Toughness built through experience is also necessary.

- You retired honorably. Why did you decide to quit?

▲ A job is not the goal of life but a tool. I’m so grateful that earning money aligned with my attitude toward life. However, the higher I climbed, the more I stopped moving my hands and feet and ended up just watching and nagging with my eyes and mouth. It felt tedious, and I thought it was time to change tools. After spending my 20s catching criminals, by my 50s, I was only telling staff what to do. Having not properly enjoyed my 20s because of work, I didn’t want to spend my 50s like that.

- What about life after retirement? How are you spending your days now?

▲ I’m living a vigorous working life again. After retirement, I moved to Jeju Island, run a bookstore, and work as an assistant to artists, living a new life. I really enjoy watching customers appreciate the artworks. Rather than focusing on how many pieces I’ve sold, I now approach it with an attitude of trying something without calculations. Isn’t that an attitude one can have as they age?

- Any advice for younger generations?

▲ I want to advise them to accept their immaturity. Feeling lost is natural because you lack experience. When you feel like you’ve hit a wall due to immaturity and lack of toughness, an opportunity to open a window comes. But when you open the window, the wind comes in too. Accept that as normal. Toughness must be concretized, and growth must happen at every stage; maturity leads to expertise. But there is no eternal expert. Society keeps changing. In my case, each case brought a promotion, and as I handled each position, the next one came. I’ve learned that crises always come with hidden gifts.

Former Police Superintendent Park Mi-ok

In an era when female police officers were unfamiliar, she passed the police officer recruitment exam in 1987 and became a police officer at 19. In 1991, when the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency selected the female detective task force, she became the first female detective to investigate violent crimes in Korea. She was also the first female detective chief and the first female violent crimes division chief, always accompanied by the title ‘first.’ She investigated cases such as escapee Shin Chang-won and serial killer Jeong Nam-gyu and served as the inspiration for famous dramas like ‘Hit,’ ‘Signal,’ and ‘Those Who Read the Minds of Evil.’