South Korean Police to Recuse Officers from Family-Related Cases Next Month

South Korean police will introduce a system to recuse officers from cases involving their family members, effective next month. This policy change aims to prevent internal cover-ups and ensure impartiality in investigations.

The decision follows incidents where the police were accused of protecting their own. In one notable case, the investigation team for a high-profile murder case allegedly shared case details with the father of the suspect, who was also a serving police officer. This perceived "protection of their own" has led to calls for greater accountability.

Under the new system, if an officer becomes aware that a suspect or victim is the spouse, grandparent, child, or grandchild of a fellow officer within the same precinct, they must immediately report it to their superiors. The provincial police agency will then either take over the investigation directly or transfer the case to a different police station.

In addition to the recusal policy, the police plan to reorganize their internal affairs and human rights oversight functions. Investigative oversight currently managed by the National Investigation Headquarters will be transferred to the Police Human Rights and Audit Office. The force also intends to establish a dedicated unit for investigating internal corruption. To address an anticipated increase in workload following the abolition of the prosecutor's office's investigative powers, the police will reduce the size of their mobile units to add 881 personnel to investigative roles.