DistantNews
Support us
🇰🇷 South Korea /Crime & Justice

Acting police chief vows to rebuild South Korea’s police from the basics

From Hankyoreh · () Korean

Translated from Korean and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Official statement New plan
  • Acting National Police Commissioner Kim Jong-cheol said the police must regain public trust through deep reflection and comprehensive reform.
  • He identified the mishandled Jeju missing-person case and the inadequate investigation into Jang Yoon-gi’s death as immediate priorities.
  • Police leaders agreed to overhaul missing-person response systems and establish a reform task force covering organizational structures, work practices and internal culture.

“Without the public’s trust, the police have no reason to exist,” Acting National Police Commissioner Kim Jong-cheol told the country’s police leadership on Sept. 3. At his first command meeting, he promised to rebuild the force from the basics through what he called deep remorse and thorough reform.

Unlike the regular video conference, the meeting brought together all 18 metropolitan and provincial police chiefs, including 14 newly appointed chiefs. Its slogan was: “The police fell short. Through deep remorse and thorough reform, we will rebuild the police from the basics.” Kim also led the leadership in reading the police charter adopted when the National Police Agency opened in 1991.

Without the public’s trust, the police have no reason to exist.

— Kim Jong-cheolThe acting police chief addressed the force’s first national leadership meeting under his tenure.

The meeting covered changes to the response system for missing-person cases and the direction of police reform. The National Police Agency said it would create a Police Reform Promotion Team to review its organization, institutions, working methods and internal culture.

The police fell short. Through deep remorse and thorough reform, we will rebuild the police from the basics.

— South Korean police leadershipThe slogan adopted for the nationwide police leadership meeting reflected the promised reform effort.

Kim opened his remarks with an apology and referred first to the Jeju case, in which a missing-person investigation was falsely closed, and the inadequate investigation into Jang Yoon-gi’s case. He said the police would create fundamental reforms covering the initial response, reporting, command, case closure and final responsibility, so officers would not lose the critical window to protect public safety.

He also said the force would prepare for a major change to the criminal justice system expected in one month. Kim promised measures to address concerns about cases being buried and investigations being inadequate or unfair. He said police would respond with particular care and strictness to reports from children, older people, women and people with disabilities.

Before any promise, I want to offer my deepest reflection and apology.

— Kim Jong-cheolHe began his remarks by addressing recent cases involving alleged police failures.

After the meeting, Kim attended a National Assembly budget subcommittee session before traveling to Jeju. He planned to visit the funeral home of a missing person found dead 104 days after disappearing and inspect the palm farm in Hallim-eup, Jeju City.

We will not let this end as a feast of words. We will show it through change and action.

— Kim Jong-cheolHe pledged that the police reform campaign would produce practical results.
About this summary

Originally published by Hankyoreh in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

More Stories

From Our Blog