[2025 Audit] 73% of Decommissioned Police Substations Managed by KAMCO Remain Unused

Assemblyman Yoo Dongsoo: "Concerns Over Regional Safety Blind Spots"

It has been revealed that 73% of the 234 decommissioned police substations managed by Korea Asset Management Corporation (KAMCO) remain unused.

According to audit materials submitted by KAMCO to Assemblyman Yoo Dongsoo of the National Policy Committee on October 23, as of August this year, only 27% of the decommissioned substations managed by KAMCO are currently in use. KAMCO manages 234 decommissioned police substations that were transferred following police organizational restructuring and other changes. These substations account for about 13.5% of the total 1,725 state-owned buildings under KAMCO’s management.

Looking at the regional distribution, Seoul and Gyeonggi have the largest share with 72 substations (30.8%), followed by Daegu and Gyeongbuk with 39 (16.7%), Busan and Gyeongnam with 35 (15%), Gwangju and Jeonnam with 18 (7.7%), and Daejeon and Chungnam with 11 (4.7%). This indicates that decommissioned substations are relatively concentrated in the Seoul metropolitan area and the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region.

Since 2023, KAMCO has been running the ‘NaraOn’ project in collaboration with local agencies, utilizing idle substations to create jobs for seniors and support self-sufficiency enterprises, thereby assisting vulnerable social groups. As of August this year, the project has created a cumulative total of 180 jobs and generated approximately 3.5 billion won in revenue over three years, demonstrating significant economic impact.

However, among the seven NaraOn project sites that were remodeled and opened between 2023 and August this year, five are located in Busan and Gyeongnam, highlighting regional concentration and limitations in the range of beneficiaries. Only two sites are located in other regions, one each in Chungbuk and Jeonbuk.

Assemblyman Yoo Dongsoo stated, “There are concerns that idle, neglected substations across the country could become blind spots for regional safety,” and emphasized, “KAMCO must promptly devise measures to improve the utilization of unused substations.” He added, “Since the NaraOn project revitalizes aging, idle state-owned assets and helps vulnerable groups achieve self-reliance, it should be expanded more broadly to reduce regional concentration. In particular, for substations in urban areas, KAMCO should actively consider converting them into youth housing in cooperation with organizations such as LH.”