Government to test-operate autonomous police system next year

Kim Soon-eun, right, vice chairman of the Presidential Committee on Autonomy and Decentralization, speaks during a committee meeting at the Government Complex in Seoul, Tuesday. It was held to announce the government's plan to introduce the local autonomous police system. / Yonhap

By Kang Seung-woo

Five jurisdictions and regions will test-run an autonomous police system next year, before it goes into full operation nationwide in 2022, a presidential committee announced, Tuesday.

Under the plan, some 43,000 police officers from the national police organization will be transferred to local police forces, where they will assume duties related to traffic law enforcement and sex crimes, as well as school and domestic violence. The current national police body will be in charge of matters related to security, intelligence and foreign affairs, counterterrorism and serious crimes such as murder and other nationwide issues.

Currently, Seoul, Sejong and Jeju Island are confirmed to participate in the pilot project and two more areas for the test operation will be picked soon through public invitation.

“The municipal police system is focused on improving public order, keeping neutrality and exercising police power democratically,” an official of the Presidential Committee on Autonomy and Decentralization said.

Currently, all Korean police forces except for some on Jeju Island belong to the central government. Introducing the local autonomous police system was one of President Moon Jae-in's campaign pledges in last year's presidential election.

Under the autonomous police system, local police forces will control police precinct offices and police boxes, which are currently under the national police body.

According to the timetable for the new system, up to 8,000 police officers will shift to autonomous police forces next year, followed by up to 35,000 in 2021. The new police establishment will have 43,000 police officers in 2022, accounting for 36 percent of the nation's total police forces.

In the early stages of discussion about the local autonomous police system, it drew debate because the police forces would be put under direct control of local governments, raising concerns about their political neutrality.

Aware of misgivings, the presidential committee suggested a five-member commission supervise the local police forces. One member will be recommended each by the local government head, the court and the national police commission, and two by the municipal council.

The central government will shoulder the financial burden of implementing the local police system, with the cost projected to reach 4.3 trillion won ($3.8 billion), according to the presidential committee.

It also plans to introduce a tax allocated to the local police in the long term.

However, many are questioning whether the new police system, as run in the United States and Japan, is suitable for Korea, a far smaller country, while still keeping the current national police organization.

“The U.S. is a federal state with a massive territory, but Korea with a long history of centralism and a small land area may not obtain the desired effects,” a critic said.

Some also worried that in many cases it will be difficult to sort out whether a case falls under the local police jurisdiction or the national police. “Officers of the two bodies may try to unload difficult cases onto the other,” a police officer said.