The number of personnel seeking to obtain the 'Investigation Career Track' qualification, which allows them to work in police investigative departments, as well as those qualified, has significantly increased.
According to the National Police Agency's National Investigation Headquarters on the 19th, the number of applicants for the preliminary Investigation Career Track among trainees at the Central Police Academy (Junggyeong) has nearly quadrupled, from 118 in the 309th class to 450 in the 314th class this year.
Dark clouds hang over the Seoul Seodaemun-gu Police Agency building on the 15th, ahead of the announcement of the "Police System Improvement Plan," which includes the establishment of the Police Bureau, a police work organization, and the enactment of command rules by the Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety over the Commissioner of the National Police Agency. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@
The preliminary Investigation Career Track system selects some trainees from Junggyeong and grants them the qualification to be immediately assigned to frontline investigative departments.
It was introduced to cultivate capable investigators from the early stages of their careers and has been applied since the 309th class graduated in December 2021.
The National Investigation Headquarters gradually increased the number of preliminary Investigation Career Track appointments from an initial 50 to 250 this year.
Among provincial police agencies, the competition rates for the 314th class preliminary Investigation Career Track were higher than average (1.8 to 1) at Gangwon Police Agency (5.3 to 1) and Seoul Police Agency (3.2 to 1).
The National Investigation Headquarters also increased the number of Investigation Career Track personnel selected through exams from 2,891 in 2021 to 3,172 last year. The preliminary demand for the Investigation Career Track exam also rose from 4,526 in 2022 to 5,578 this year.
On the other hand, the number of personnel voluntarily relinquishing their Investigation Career Track qualification decreased by about 78%, from 3,096 in 2021 to 654 last year.
An official from the National Investigation Headquarters stated, "A positive atmosphere has been created for those wishing to work in investigative departments, and investigative personnel are being stably supplied. In particular, demand has increased for taking the exam to become a 'Chief Investigator,' the highest grade in the 'Investigator Qualification Management System.'"
They added, "We believe that measures to boost morale, such as increasing personnel and reallocations, raising the investigation budget, and implementing promotion systems for police inspectors and entire teams, have been effective."
In fact, just last year, a total of 1,095 Investigation Career Track personnel working in investigative departments received promotions, accounting for about 3% of all investigative police personnel.
The National Investigation Headquarters official said, "Indicators related to the Investigation Career Track have greatly improved, signaling a green light for securing capable investigators. We will continue to provide various benefits and further improve working conditions to ensure a steady supply of high-quality personnel."
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