Advisory group to interior ministry suggests direct control of police

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

National

Thu, December 7, 2023 | 12:53

Law & Crime

Advisory group to interior ministry suggests direct control of police

Posted : 2022-06-21 16:49

Updated : 2022-06-22 16:51

Vice-Minister of the Interior and Safety Han Chang-seob, right, announces the guidelines by the ministry's advisory group that recommend putting the national police force under the ministry's direct control, Tuesday, at the Government Complex in Seoul. Yonhap

By Ko Dong-hwan

An advisory group to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety has released a set of guidelines that orders launching a new subdivision to control the country's police force directly, stunning law enforcement officials.

After internal discussions in four meetings from May until June 10, 10 members of the group, Tuesday, announced the guidelines. The guidelines include various new measures for the ministry to control the police directly, including ministry authorities being able to hire, fire and punish police officers.

The group was established by the interior minister, Lee Sang-min, who was appointed by the Yoon Suk-yeol administration last month. The group members include Interior Vice-Minister Han Chang-seob, two interior ministry officials, a police officer and six legal and police experts from civic circles.

The interior minister's role, according to the country's Constitution, Police Officers Act and Criminal Procedure Act, entails cooperating with the country's National Police Agency (NPA) over various police-related purposes, from proposing new police-related laws to setting the job description for the NPA chief, to making suggestions for the Korean National Police Commission. The ministry, however, so far hasn't had a subdivision dedicated to supporting such tasks, according to the group, Tuesday.

The interior minister, according to the new guidelines, should be granted the right to control the chiefs of the NPA and the National Fire Agency directly.

The interior ministry and its advisory group said Tuesday at the Government Complex in Seoul that seven out of the country's 10 ministries have sets of rules for their sub-agencies, except for the ministries of the interior and of the oceans and fisheries.

Members of an association of police officers in Seoul protest against the interior ministry's launching of a new supervisory group to control the national police force directly in front of the Government Complex in Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap

The guidelines have recommended launching additional committees under the interior ministry to recommend candidates for the NPA chief, executive officers for national investigations and other high-ranking police officers.

The group has also advised the interior ministry to monitor, audit and punish ranking police officers. They have advised the ministry to expand its internal infrastructure by hiring additional officers, improving their investigative skills, improving the working environmental systems for those soon to retire, and expanding ways for low-ranking officers to be internally promoted.

The group has advised granting more authority to the police investigation audit committee by appointing audit officers from higher positions. They have also advised launching a presidential police policy improvement committee to "put the police organization under a wider, more fundamental magnifying glass."

"We will prioritize key things based on what the advisory group has come up with today, and furthermore listen to related organizations," Vice-Minister Han said, Tuesday. "We will take the time."

Setting up the new central government body, however, has aroused concern among active police officers that they will be required to face an additional supervisory authority.

Following the establishment of the Korean government in 1948, the national police force was under the control of the central government. It was made into a separate organization in 1991, following the revision of the country's Police Officers Act during the country's democratization movement, and given its present title.

aoshima11@koreatimes.co.kr