Seoul Chief Kim Bong-sik and Busan Chief Kim Su-hwan... Police Senior Superintendent Appointment Executed (Comprehensive)

Deputy Commissioner Lee Ho-young, Gyeonggi Nambu Commissioner Kim Jun-young, Police University President Oh Moon-gyo
24 Senior Superintendents and 45 Police Superintendents Transferred
Former Jeonnam Police Chief Jo Byung-no Appointed Amid 'Drug Investigation Pressure' Allegations

The government announced on the 14th that it has carried out personnel changes for the Senior Commissioner of Police, appointing Kim Bong-sik, Commissioner of the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency, as Commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, and Lee Ho-young, President of the Korean National Police University, as Deputy Commissioner General of the National Police Agency, effective on the 16th.

Kim Bong-sik, Commissioner of Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency; Lee Ho-young, Deputy Commissioner of the National Police Agency; Kim Su-hwan, Commissioner of Busan Metropolitan Police Agency.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Senior Commissioner of Police is the rank directly below the Commissioner General of the National Police Agency, who is the head of the police. Excluding the National Investigation Headquarters Chief, whose term is guaranteed, there are six positions: Deputy Commissioner General of the National Police Agency, Commissioners of the Seoul, Busan, Gyeonggi Nambu, and Incheon Police Agencies, and the President of the Korean National Police University. Kim Su-hwan, Deputy Commissioner General of the National Police Agency, was appointed Commissioner of the Busan Police Agency; Kim Jun-young, Commissioner of the Gangwon Police Agency, was appointed Commissioner of the Gyeonggi Nambu Police Agency; and Oh Moon-gyo, Commissioner of the Chungnam Police Agency, was appointed President of the Korean National Police University.

Personnel changes were made for 24 Commissioners of Police, the rank directly below Senior Commissioner of Police. The new spokesperson for the National Police Agency is Kim Dong-kwon, International Cooperation Officer of the National Police Agency, and Do Jun-su, Police Management Officer of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, was appointed Planning and Coordination Officer of the National Police Agency. Ko Pyung-gi, Head of the Crime Prevention and Response Division of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, and Lim Jeong-ju, Head of the Security Division of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, both moved to the National Police Agency to serve as Director of the Crime Prevention and Response Bureau and Director of the Security Bureau, respectively. Baek Dong-heum, Head of the Investigation Division of the Ulsan Police Agency, was appointed Director of the Security Investigation Bureau of the National Investigation Headquarters at the National Police Agency, and Mo Sang-myo, Chief of the Bundang Police Station of the Gyeonggi Nambu Police Agency, became Commissioner of the Jeollanam-do Police Agency. Son Je-han, Head of the Investigation Division of the Busan Police Agency, was transferred to Deputy Commissioner of Investigation of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. Eom Seong-gyu, Director of the Security Bureau of the National Police Agency, was appointed Commissioner of the Gangwon Police Agency, and Bae Dae-hee, Investigation Planning and Coordination Officer of the National Investigation Headquarters at the National Police Agency, was appointed Commissioner of the Chungnam Police Agency.

Personnel changes for the rank of Superintendent, which is below Commissioner of Police, were also announced. Lee Jun-hyung, Head of the Community Safety Division of the Incheon Police Agency, was transferred to International Cooperation Officer of the National Police Agency, and Kwak Byung-woo, Deputy Commissioner of the Jeju Police Agency, was transferred to Security Situation Manager of the Crime Prevention and Response Bureau of the National Police Agency, among 45 others who were reassigned.

Meanwhile, Jo Byung-no, Superintendent who was suspected of exerting undue external pressure related to a customs drug investigation case at the Yeongdeungpo Police Station in Seoul, was transferred from Head of the Suwon Nambu Police Station to Head of the Community Safety Division of the Jeonnam Police Agency. Some view this as effectively a 'lateral transfer.'

At the National Assembly confirmation hearing on the 29th of last month, Police Commissioner General Jo Ji-ho was asked by Yong Hye-in, a lawmaker from the Basic Income Party, whether he would take personnel action regarding Superintendent Jo. He replied, "I will review it. It is definitely worth reviewing." Regarding the demotion of Detective Baek Hae-ryong, who claimed to have been pressured during the investigation, from Head of the Criminal Division at the Yeongdeungpo Police Station in Seoul to Chief of the Hwagok Precinct of the Gangseo Police Station, Jo said, "Since the case is under concentrated investigation and command by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, there is an obligation to report key details to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, but (Detective Baek) violated the public relations regulations several times," adding, "This is not a retaliatory personnel action."

Previously, Detective Baek revealed that while serving as Head of the Criminal Division at the Yeongdeungpo Police Station last year, during an investigation into collusion between drug syndicate members and customs officials, he was pressured by Superintendent Jo, then Head of the Community Safety Division of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, to "remove the Customs Service from the press release."