What steps must Kim Jong-chul’s nomination as KNPA commissioner general go through?

The presidential office nominates the candidate, the National Police Commission deliberates on the appointment, and the interior minister formally recommends the nominee. A National Assembly confirmation hearing follows, after which the president makes the appointment; parliamentary consent is not required.

What did Kim Jong-chul say about becoming the next KNPA commissioner general?

Kim said public expectations for the police were higher than ever and concerns about the police were also growing. He said he would take part in the National Police Commission meeting with a sense of responsibility and the utmost sincerity.

What police leadership roles did Kim Jong-chul hold before his nomination?

Kim was chief of the Seoul Seocho Police Station and head of the Autonomous Police Division at the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency. He later served at Cheong Wa Dae, led the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency, and became KNPA deputy commissioner general and acting commissioner general.

KNPA deputy chief nominated as new police chief

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Summary

Kim Jong-chul, deputy commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA), was nominated Friday in South Korea to become the agency’s commissioner general, filling a post vacant for nearly two years. He said he felt a heavy sense of responsibility and would attend the National Police Commission meeting with sincerity. His nomination must pass several steps, including a National Assembly confirmation hearing, before the president appoints him.

Key Facts

Kim was born in Hamyang, South Gyeongsang Province, in 1970 and graduated from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies with a major in English.
He entered the police force as a lieutenant in 1997 and later led the Seoul Seocho Police Station and the Autonomous Police Division at the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency.
Kim served at Cheong Wa Dae in 2021 and became chief of the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency in September last year.
He was appointed KNPA deputy commissioner general in September this year and has served as acting commissioner general since then.

By Yonhap

Published Nov 6, 2026 3:28 pm KST

Kim Jong-chul, acting commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency, speaks to reporters at the National Police Commission in Seodaemun District, Seoul, Friday. Yonhap

Kim Jong-chul, deputy commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA), was nominated Friday to serve as the agency's new commissioner general, filling a post that has remained vacant for nearly two years since former President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law.

Kim said he felt a heavy sense of responsibility over his nomination as KNPA commissioner general at a critical time, ahead of a meeting of the National Police Commission convened to deliberate on his appointment.

"I am well aware that public expectations for the police are higher than ever and that concerns about the police are also growing," Kim said, adding he would participate in the commission meeting with a sense of responsibility and the utmost sincerity.

The selection process for the KNPA commissioner general involves several steps: nomination by the presidential office, approval by the National Police Commission, a formal recommendation by the interior minister, a confirmation hearing at the National Assembly and, finally, appointment by the president.

The KNPA commissioner general nominee can be appointed by the president even without parliamentary consent following the confirmation hearing.

Born in Hamyang, South Gyeongsang Province, in 1970, Kim graduated from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, where he majored in English. In 1997, he entered the police force as a lieutenant and has since held various key positions, including chief of the Seoul Seocho Police Station and head of the Autonomous Police Division at the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency.

Kim later served at Cheong Wa Dae in 2021 during the previous Moon Jae-in administration before becoming chief of the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency in September last year. He was appointed as the deputy commissioner general of the KNPA in September this year and has since served as the agency's acting commissioner general.

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