Police to set up independent body to monitor abuse

By Lee Kyung-min

The National Police Agency is seeking to set up an independent body to monitor human rights abuses, it said Friday.

Details will be finalized by the end of the year.

The announcement followed a set of recommendations made by a committee comprised of outside experts on the reform of the 140,000-strong law enforcement body often criticized for abuses of power.

The committee recommended that the body handle affairs involving whistle-blowing including protection of informants and reports received from them.

It also said reports from the public on abuse should be filed and preserved and that measures will be set up to launch investigations into the accused officers.

Guidelines should be established, it added, to prevent police from abusing the execution of emergency arrest, which they can use to detain suspects for up to 48 hours without court-issued arrest warrants.