Policy Planning Committee Proposes Swift Abolition of Police Bureau Established by Yoon Administration

Implementation of President Lee Jaemyung's Pledge
Proposal to the Presidential Office to Delete Provisions Related to the Police Bureau

Yonhap News

The National Policy Planning Committee, which is outlining President Lee Jaemyung's policy roadmap, has selected the swift abolition of the Police Bureau within the Ministry of the Interior and Safety as a priority task and proposed this to the presidential office. This is also one of President Lee Jaemyung's campaign pledges.

The Political and Administrative Subcommittee of the Policy Planning Committee stated, "The Police Bureau, established within the Ministry of the Interior and Safety by the Yoon Sukyeol administration in August 2022, has become a tool for controlling police personnel and managing the organization," and evaluated this as "a regression to the era of authoritarianism, when the police were used as an instrument of the regime through the National Police Headquarters under the former Ministry of Home Affairs."

Accordingly, the Policy Planning Committee determined that it is necessary to restore the system to its pre-Police Bureau structure in order to strengthen the political neutrality and democratic oversight of the police. The committee proposed to the presidential office that the relevant articles regarding the Police Bureau be deleted by amending the 'Organization of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety' (Presidential Decree) and the 'Enforcement Rules of the Organization of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety' (Ministerial Decree).

Lee Haesik, head of the Political and Administrative Subcommittee of the Policy Planning Committee, stated, "Despite opposition from the then-opposition parties and within the police, the Yoon Sukyeol administration established the Police Bureau, seriously undermining the political neutrality of the police." He added, "We will work closely with the government to promptly abolish the Police Bureau and empower the National Police Commission, so that the police can be normalized as a force serving the people, not the regime."

The Policy Planning Committee has submitted a total of 11 fast-track policy tasks, including this proposal, to the presidential office so far, and some of these tasks are already being implemented.