Board of Audit and Inspection: Regular Audit of National Police Agency, Seoul and Busan Police Agencies
Unauthorized Absences from Duty to Attend Law School Also Uncovered
Illegal acts committed by police officers in the course of their work, such as secretly accessing the personal information of celebrities or mistresses, have been uncovered by an audit conducted by the Board of Audit and Inspection. There were also cases where officers left their posts without authorization to attend law school while still on duty, or provided victims' personal information to perpetrators.
According to the audit report on the 'Regular Audit of the National Police Agency and the Seoul and Busan Metropolitan Police Agencies' released by the Board of Audit and Inspection on November 10, such improper conduct by police officers was discovered.
In response to ongoing unauthorized access and leakage of investigative and personal information by police officers, the Board of Audit and Inspection recently identified 172 high-risk individuals and reviewed the appropriateness of their personal inquiries and supervision. Police officers collect and process personal and criminal justice information using the Resident Data Inquiry Service (POL Inquiry), the Traffic Police Work Management System (TCS), and the Criminal Justice Information System (KICS).
According to the audit report, 92 police officers used POL Inquiry and TCS to access the addresses or contact information of former lovers or famous celebrities for purposes unrelated to their work, and falsely stated the reasons for their inquiries.
Officer A, who is married, continued an inappropriate extramarital relationship with a woman who was also married between May and August 2021 and had previously been disciplined for such conduct. However, citing concerns for her safety, he accessed her resident information and falsely recorded the purpose as 'to locate the subject of a suicide 112 report.'
There were also cases where officers accessed their own information to check on matters such as the imposition of fines. Officer B, after falsely stating 'driver's license inquiry' as the reason, accessed and viewed the driver's license records of a famous singer, as well as the personal information of four celebrities and one civilian, for purposes unrelated to work.
Numerous cases of improper personnel management were also uncovered, such as unauthorized absences from the workplace to attend law school or using leave for purposes other than those intended. A review of the service records of eight police officers who entered law school between 2021 and 2024 revealed violations such as unauthorized absences to attend law school, failure to fulfill attendance obligations during periods of suspension, and misuse of leave for purposes other than originally intended.
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