New gender-neutral police hiring policy drives surge in female recruits
Applicants run the 100-meter dash during a physical fitness test for entry-level police officer recruitment at Munhak Main Stadium in Michuhol District, Incheon, Apr. 14, 2025. Yonhap
Korea’s first unified, gender-neutral hiring process for entry-level police officers resulted in women comprising a record 37.8 percent of the selected candidates.
The National Police Agency (NPA) announced Monday that women accounted for 1,112 of the 2,941 applicants selected in the final round for the first half of 2026. This marks the first time women exceeded 30 percent of new hires, aligning with their 37.1 percent share of all applicants. Men accounted for 62.9 percent of the applicant pool and 1,829 of the final selections, or 62.2 percent.
A chart generated by artificial intelligence shows the gender breakdown of entry-level police recruits for the first half of 2026, where women accounted for a record 37.8 percent of final selections.
Under the previous system, the agency enforced strict gender quotas that generally capped female recruits near 20 percent. Under the new process, candidates faced identical written exams, interviews and physical fitness tests. The agency also shifted the physical evaluation from graded metrics to a pass-fail standard.
The agency fully implemented the unified process following a recommendation from the Police Reform Committee in 2017, a directive from the NPA Gender Equality Committee in 2020 and a formal resolution by the National Police Commission in 2021. Previously, the agency tested the method on specific ranks, such as inspector.
An applicant performs standard push-ups during the second physical fitness test for female police officer recruitment at the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency, September 2023. Yonhap
The NPA noted the higher share of women among those selected reflects the historical hiring disparities female applicants have faced. Under the segregated system in 2023, the applicant-to-slot ratio was 15.1-to-1 for men compared to 29.4-to-1 for women. Last year, women still faced application ratios more than double those of men at 20.1-to-1, compared to 9-to-1.
While observers expect the proportion of women among new recruits to continue rising, the shift has revived concerns inside and outside the agency regarding the force's ability to maintain operational readiness.
"Although the percentage of women among those selected in this recruitment is 37.8 percent, women's share of the total police force remains at 16.7 percent," Acting NPA Chief Yoo Jae-sung said. "We will closely monitor and evaluate to address public concern."
The acting chief said the agency will review changes to the system if operational concerns materialize.
This article from the Hankook Ilbo, the sister publication of The Korea Times, is translated by a generative AI system and edited by The Korea Times.