[Exclusive] Despite Police Officer's Death from 'Overwork'... Number of Cases per Officer Increases

◆Among 31 Seoul Police Stations, 5 Stations Hold 32.4% of Cases
◆Superficial On-Site Work Improvement Plans... Police Leadership's Complacent Attitude

Last year, despite a series of incidents where police officers overwhelmed by excessive workloads took their own lives, the number of cases handled per officer actually increased. The National Police Agency proposed measures to improve working conditions on the ground, but these measures have not been properly implemented.

◆Among 31 Seoul Police Stations, 5 Stations Hold 32.4% of Cases

According to data submitted by the National Police Agency to Mo Gyeong-jong, a member of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, the average number of cases per investigator nationwide rose from 28.5 in June last year to 29.4 in December. During the same period, Seoul saw an increase from 33.2 to 33.9 cases. Investigators at frontline police stations are still assigned anywhere from 40 to 50 cases at the high end, and 20 to 30 cases at the low end, suffering from excessive workloads.

The main causes include the 2021 adjustment of investigative authority between the prosecution and police, which transferred the authority to initiate investigations to the police for all crimes except six major categories: corruption, economic crimes, public officials, elections, defense projects, and large-scale disasters. Additionally, the revision of investigation guidelines in November 2023 prohibited the rejection of complaints and accusations. While the number of investigation cases increased, there was no reinforcement of personnel on the ground.

As of December last year, the total number of cases held by Seoul police stations was 84,763, with 32.4% concentrated in five police stations: Gangnam Police Station with 7,654 cases, Songpa Police Station with 5,618, Gwanak Police Station with 4,791, Seocho Police Station with 4,747, and Mapo Police Station with 4,702. The concentration of cases increased slightly compared to six months earlier (32.2%), and there was no change in the ranking of the top police stations. These figures represent the combined total of all investigative departments, including investigation, criminal, women and youth, and traffic divisions.

Earlier, a 30-year-old Sergeant A, who worked in the investigative department of Gwanak Police Station in Seoul, took his own life in July last year. Sergeant A sent messages to colleagues such as "I have 73 cases. I might die like this," "I feel like dying. I see no way out," and "Cases just keep piling up." At that time, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency notified police stations with many long-term cases exceeding one year for on-site inspections, and Sergeant A expressed feelings of pressure, saying, "I hope that day never comes." Before his death, Sergeant A had also applied for a transfer due to work-related burdens and difficulties. In the same month, Sergeant B in his 20s from the Security Division of Yesan Police Station in Chungnam also took extreme measures, and Captain C in his 40s, who was in charge of investigations at Hyehwa Police Station in Seoul, jumped into the Han River but was rescued. Both reportedly expressed stress related to their work.

◆Superficial On-Site Work Improvement Plans... Police Leadership's Complacent Attitude

Over the past five years, a total of 115 police officers have died by suicide. This averages 23 per year, or two officers per month taking their own lives. The annual figures are 24 in 2020, 24 in 2021, 21 in 2022, 24 in 2023, 22 in 2024, and 3 up to February 2025. The numbers have not decreased year by year, with criticism that the police leadership is complacent in preparing countermeasures.

The National Police Agency declared immediately after the deaths that it would reduce the burden of fieldwork, but no changes occurred. In July last year, they formed the "On-Site Working Conditions Diagnosis Team" led by Deputy Commissioner Lee Ho-young to devise countermeasures. The integrated investigation teams at police stations planned to improve efficiency by merging similar cases from the reception stage before case assignment. They also pledged to analyze various security indicators and workloads by metropolitan and provincial police agencies and police stations to develop and implement personnel redistribution plans. Furthermore, they promised to enhance mental health diagnosis and management for officers by expanding the Mind Companion Center and increasing counselors.

However, the key measure of improving personnel management was mostly postponed. Of the four plans originally scheduled for completion within the year, three were not implemented. These include personnel redistribution between metropolitan and provincial police agencies, adjustment of investigative personnel between agencies by region, and redistribution of personnel based on appropriate staffing calculations for local agencies. A National Police Agency official stated, "We are preparing a personnel redistribution plan based on workload assessments by agency and function," adding, "After a grace period of more than six months, we plan to adjust staffing starting with the regular personnel appointments in the first half of next year."

Special care for high-risk groups in mental health and strengthening designated counseling were immediate tasks but have seen no progress for seven months. The National Police Agency announced plans to sequentially conduct "visiting counseling and outreach counseling" during the first half of this year for officers with a history of suicide attempts, those showing crisis signs, and those working in heavy-duty departments such as investigation, women and youth, and civil affairs offices.

Experts unanimously called for fundamental solutions at the government level. Professor Kim Do-woo of the Department of Police Science at Gyeongnam National University said, "Last year, patchwork measures were prepared to appease public opinion, and it is clear that policy improvement plans made by the police leadership's judgment and planning have limitations. Systematic research should be conducted, and internal opinions reflected to solve chronic problems." He added, "Since the budget is limited, it is not necessary to expand personnel only within the police. Like in other countries, clearly distinguishing between judicial police and administrative police roles and actively utilizing general administrative officials is also a method."

Professor Lee Woong-hyuk of the Department of Police Science at Konkuk University pointed out, "The core issue is that the number of investigators is too small compared to the increased number of cases after the adjustment of investigative authority between prosecution and police. The personnel itself has not changed, so it is a matter of shifting resources around without increasing them." He added, "There are limits to solutions within the police organization alone, and investigative personnel from the prosecution should be transferred. The government needs to take interest, and if necessary, legislation should be enacted by the National Assembly."