ED Checking police power

Efforts needed to prevent abuse of police's powers

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety has begun discussing ways to rein in the police force, which will be mightier following the recent passage of two bills intended to strip the prosecution of its investigative powers.

An advisory committee, established at the instruction of new Interior Minister Lee Sang-min, held its first meeting May 13 to hold a full-blown debate on how to improve systems related to the police. The committee, consisting of nine members, is co-chaired by Vice Interior Minister Han Chang-seob and lawyer Hwang Jeong-geun who served previously as a judge. It will deal intensively with issues related to the separation of prosecutors' powers of investigation and indictment and the increased investigative authority of the police, including ensuring the democratic operation of police investigations.

The previous administration's first adjustment of investigative powers in January last year granted the police the primary investigative authority and the right to close investigations. And once the bills aimed at stripping the prosecution of its investigative powers took effect, the police will have the authority to investigate serious crimes such as election fraud.

The police have already become a powerful organization with nearly 140,000 personnel across the nation. Their increased investigative powers, coupled with their take-over of authority to conduct anti-espionage investigations from the National Intelligence Service in 2024, will certainly pave the way for the police to become a “dinosaur organization.” That's why it's urgent to ensure the police's neutrality in investigations and establish proper checks so that police powers may not be abused.

Protecting the rights and interests of the broader populace should be at the heart of the interior ministry's push to improve police systems. Specifically, it's imperative not to infringe upon human rights while offenders are punished harshly. Taking into account that the public's confidence in the police force remains low due to a string of irregularities involving officers and frequently bungled investigations, the police should do more to strengthen internal controls.