[Exclusive] Heyday of Former Police Insiders... 290 at the Top 8 Law Firms

In the Era of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, Former Police Officers’ Value Soars: A Dissection of Law Firms’ Police Networks
Recruitment Extends Beyond Top Brass to Team Leaders
Focus on Korean National Police University Graduates and Spec

It has been found that eight major law firms have secured at least around 290 former police officers as advisors and special advisors, and are responding to the changes in the criminal justice system that will follow the launch of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency and the Public Prosecution Agency. Not only are they appointing former high-ranking officials such as the Commissioner General of the Korean National Police Agency and provincial police commissioners as advisors, but they are also expanding recruitment targets down to front-line team leaders (Inspector) and squad leaders (Senior Inspector), creating a trend in which not only the overall headcount but also the rank composition is becoming more segmented.

According to reporting by The Asia Business Daily on February 11, more than 290 former police professionals are currently active at the eight major law firms (BKL, Kim & Chang, SHIN & KIM, Yulchon, Jipyong, Bae, Kim & Lee, HwaHyun, and Law Firm YK, listed in Korean alphabetical order). These firms are actively publicizing their achievements in recruiting former police officers by prominently using phrases such as "inducing non-indictment decisions" and "obtaining non-referral and dismissal decisions" on their websites and in promotional materials. This is because demand for former police officers is rapidly increasing as the perception spreads that a case can be neatly wrapped up only if a non-referral decision is obtained at the police investigation stage, which is the first gateway in criminal cases.

The key recruitment targets for law firms seeking former police officers can be summarized as "graduates of the Korean National Police University" and "lawyers hired through special recruitment." Individuals who have worked in specialized departments such as economic crime, intellectual crime, and cyber investigation are especially preferred. A current information chief at a police station said, "I often see cases where an investigation chief who graduated from the Korean National Police University trusts a team leader who was specially recruited as a lawyer to handle legal review, then uses that performance as a springboard to pass through key posts and eventually move to a law firm." In particular, after the adjustment of investigative powers between prosecutors and police in 2021, the so-called "complete deprivation of investigative authority from prosecutors" in 2022, and with the launch of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency and the Public Prosecution Agency scheduled for this year, the market value of former police officers who hold a lawyer qualification or who have gained practical experience in units such as the Financial Crime Investigation Unit is rising even further. There is an outlook that demand for "former police insiders" who understand both investigative procedures and the internal workings of the organization will continue to grow for the time being.

Kim & Chang is operating a police investigation response team led by attorney Choi Donghae (15th Judicial Research and Training Institute class), a former Commissioner of the Gyeonggi Provincial Police Agency (now the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency). Attorney Baek Seungho (23rd class), former Commissioner of the Jeonnam Provincial Police Agency, and attorney Kim Gwichan (23rd class), who served as Deputy Commissioner General of the Korean National Police Agency, also form the core of the team. The team also includes attorney Kim Geunsik (27th class), who served as Head of the Investigation Division at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and as Director of the Korean National Police University Police Investigation Research Center, and attorney Choi Jonghyuk (34th class), a former Head of the Investigation Division at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. The number of former police officers at Kim & Chang is estimated to be around 60.

BKL is operating a "Police Investigation Response Team" centered on senior advisor Lee Sunghan, a former Commissioner General of the Korean National Police Agency. Attorney Jung Chaemin (34th class), who served as Chief of the Nowon Police Station in Seoul, leads the team. The team includes attorney Lee Donghoon (1st Bar Exam after the introduction of the new bar exam), formerly of the Regional Investigation Unit at the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency; attorney Kim Seunghyun (42nd class), who served as team leader at the Special Investigation Division of the Korean National Police Agency; and attorney Lee Kwonkyu (2nd new bar exam), a former Head of the Criminal Division at the Gangnam Police Station in Seoul. The team has 24 members.

SHIN & KIM was the first among major law firms to launch a "police team" composed of former police officers in 2021. Attorney Lee Jaehun (36th class), a graduate of the Korean National Police University who served as Chief of the Gangnam Police Station and as Head of the Cyber Investigation Planning Division at the National Office of Investigation, leads the team. Attorney Lee Chunsam (15th Korean National Police University class, 4th new bar exam), who worked in the Intelligence Bureau at the Korean National Police Agency and handled hands-on investigations into intellectual, economic, and cybercrime, and attorney Jung Yundo (16th Korean National Police University class, 8th new bar exam), who has work experience at the National Office of Investigation and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, are also active in the team. SHIN & KIM's police team currently has a headcount of around 30. Bae, Kim & Lee is operating a criminal group led by attorney Choi Hyun (20th class), a former Commissioner of the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency. Attorney Kim Daehyun (45th class), a former Senior Superintendent in the Policy and Planning Division at the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency; attorney Ahn Moohyun (1st new bar exam), who served as Warrant Screening Officer in the Investigation Division at the Suwon Nambu Police Station; and attorney Lee Sungwon (8th new bar exam), who served as Head of the Integrated Criminal Team at the Seocho Police Station in Seoul, are among those handling criminal case responses. Bae, Kim & Lee has 18 former police officers as attorneys, and it has not made public the number of advisors and committee members.

There are 25 former police officers on Yulchon's criminal team. Centered on senior advisor Yoo Jingyu, who served as Commissioner of the Incheon and Ulsan Metropolitan Police Agencies and as Spokesperson of the Korean National Police Agency, the team includes attorney Choi Inseok (35th class), a former Senior Superintendent at the Special Investigation Division of the Korean National Police Agency, and attorney Moon Sangyoung (3rd new bar exam), who worked at the Anti-Corruption Investigation Unit of the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency. Partners who are graduates of the Korean National Police University include attorney Kwon Seongguk (40th class), attorney Heo Wooyoung (6th new bar exam), and attorney Lee Daesik (7th new bar exam), and the team also includes attorney Kim Giwang (46th class), who has experience in both the prosecution and the police.

HwaHyun and Jipyong are also actively competing to recruit former police talent. HwaHyun established a Police Investigation Response Team within its Criminal Response Group in 2021 and is currently operating it with a headcount of 25. Former Busan Metropolitan Police Agency Commissioners Heo Youngbeom and Lee Gyumun, both of whom have held major investigative posts at the Korean National Police Agency, are serving as advisors. The working-level staff includes attorney Park Dongbok (16th Korean National Police University class valedictorian, 35th Judicial Research and Training Institute class), a former judge and graduate of the Korean National Police University who served at the National Court Administration, the Suwon High Court, and the Seoul Central District Court. Attorneys Kim Gyunmin (18th Korean National Police University class, 38th Judicial Research and Training Institute class) and Cho Hyunseok (20th Korean National Police University class, 1st new bar exam) are also responsible for responding to police investigations. Jipyong is operating a police team led by attorney Kim Seonguk (2nd new bar exam), a graduate of the Korean National Police University. Attorney Kim has experience working as a Judicial Research Officer in the Criminal Division of the Seoul High Court and at the Chungnam Provincial Police Agency. Attorney Wi Gyekwan (6th new bar exam), who is also a graduate of the Korean National Police University and worked at the Yongsan Police Station, is likewise a member of the police team. Jipyong also has senior advisor Yoon Oechul, a former Senior Superintendent General, and special advisor Yoon Heeseok, a former Senior Superintendent, on its roster.

Law Firm YK is regarded as the most aggressive law firm in recruiting former police insiders. It currently employs a total of 99 former police officers, including 80 committee members and 19 attorneys. All of them, including attorney Cho Seongcheol (36th class); attorneys Lee Junhyuk and Kim Hyungwon (6th new bar exam); attorney Kim Kyungtae (7th new bar exam); and attorney Kwak Noju (10th new bar exam), have hands-on experience in police investigations. Last year, Law Firm YK launched a "Criminal Practice Group," establishing a system in which former prosecutors and former police officers respond together.

A partner attorney at one law firm said, "Preferential treatment for former police officers has long been a trend in Seocho-dong, and this tendency is becoming even more pronounced ahead of the launch of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency," adding, "Law firms want former police officers, and as more police officers respond to this demand by preparing for the bar exam, the recruitment of former police insiders by law firms will only accelerate further."