The cases of police officers caught for taking bribes rose dramatically last year.
According to recent data submitted by the National Police Agency to the National Assembly, the number of police offers who accepted bribes was tallied at 52 in 2008 but jumped to 159 cases last year.
Seoul topped the list by region at 82 cases, followed by Gyeonggi Province at 40 cases.
The aggregate amount of bribes taken by policemen amounted to 570 million won last year, up from 430 million won in 2008.
The number of those dismissed for such behavior also showed an increased, reaching 150 last year, up from 65 in 2007 and 95 in 2008.
This rise in corruption among policemen comes despite repeated vows that such behavior would be rooted out by National Police Commissioner Kang Hee-rak, who was inaugurated in March last year.
Police spokesmen said that the increase in related dismissals was attributable to anti-corruption measures strengthened by Kang.
In his inauguration speech, Kang said that police were losing a battle to win the confidence of the people they vow to protect and serve, asking his police force to break with the unsavory practice of accepting bribes.