🚨 Police Bureau Abolition

Today Korean Social News for Beginners | 2025.08.14

0️⃣ Strengthening Police Independence and Building Democratic Control System

📌 Police Bureau Abolition Goes Beyond Formality...Autonomous Police System Expansion in Full Swing

💬 The Lee Jae-myung government has begun reorganizing the police structure to secure police political neutrality and strengthen democratic control. The National Policy Planning Committee announced plans to abolish the Police Bureau within the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, make the National Police Committee more functional, and expand the autonomous police system nationwide. This is also seen as a check against concerns over police power expansion following prosecution reforms. The current presidential decree amendment has completed review by the Ministry of Government Legislation and will be implemented soon. This reorganization will allow police to break free from direct political control and conduct more independent investigations and security activities.

💡 Summary

• Police Bureau abolition means dismantling the police control organization within the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to ensure police independence.
• The plan is to strengthen the National Police Committee's authority to make it a real democratic control organization.
• The government is promoting regional customized security and police power distribution through autonomous police system expansion.

1️⃣ Definition

Police Bureau Abolition means officially dismantling the Police Bureau, a police control organization established within the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and taking measures to ensure police independence and political neutrality. The Police Bureau was established by the Yoon Suk-yeol government in 2022, but controversy over ministerial control has continued.

The Lee Jae-myung government announced it would abolish the Police Bureau and build a democratic control system centered on the National Police Committee. This is to create an environment where police can work independently according to the Constitution and laws, free from political influence.

💡 Why is this important?

• It is a key measure to ensure police political neutrality and independence.
• It prevents arbitrary police control by the executive branch and builds a democratic check system.
• It serves as an institutional device to prevent police power expansion after prosecution-police investigation authority adjustment.
• It has important effects on protecting citizens' basic rights and establishing the rule of law.

2️⃣ Problems with Current Police Control System and Need for Reform

📕 Limitations and Controversies of Police Bureau

• Political control controversies continued. Main problems include:

  • The Police Bureau was established in August 2022 to support the Interior Minister's command and supervision authority over the Police Commissioner.
  • However, criticism that it violated police independence and damaged political neutrality was consistently raised.
  • There were concerns that the government's political intentions could influence police investigations and activities through direct ministerial control.
  • It was particularly criticized for the high possibility that government positions would be reflected in investigations of important political events or protests.

• There was insufficient substantial check function. Main limitations include:

  • Police Bureau control was mainly limited to administrative affairs, so substantial check effects were limited.
  • There was a structural problem where general civil servants with insufficient expertise managed police work.
  • Institutional devices to ensure transparency and accountability were inadequate.
  • It remained at vertical control from top to bottom rather than democratic control through citizen and civil society participation.

📕 Reality of National Police Committee and Improvement Tasks

• It remained a formal organization. Main current status includes:

  • The National Police Committee is a democratic control organization for police established in 1991, composed of external experts.
  • Although it handles deliberation and decision-making on police policies, its legal binding power is weak and its secretariat is weak, limiting substantial function performance.
  • Most decisions remained at the advisory level, failing to check the police agency's independent policy decisions.
  • Due to budget and personnel shortages, it faced difficulties in professional and continuous monitoring activities.

• Substantial authority strengthening is needed. Main improvement directions include:

  • The government is considering upgrading the National Police Committee to a central administrative agency or under the Prime Minister.
  • It plans to move beyond an advisory body to become an organization with substantial decision-making and investigation authority.
  • It will grant substantial authority over police budget review, major policy decisions, and personnel matters.
  • It aims to strengthen democratic legitimacy by expanding participation of civil society and experts.

💡 Main Problems of Current Police Control System

1. Political neutrality violation: Expansion of political influence through direct control by the Interior Minister
2. Insufficient check function: Formal operation and limited authority of National Police Committee
3. Lack of expertise: Management by general civil servants with insufficient understanding of police work
4. Lack of transparency: Opacity and lack of accountability in police policy decision processes
5. Insufficient democratic control: Limited participation opportunities for citizens and civil society

3️⃣ Reform Plans and Expected Effects

✅ Autonomous Police System Expansion and Authority Distribution

• Regional customized security strengthening is the goal. Main plans include:

  • The autonomous police system allows local governments to exercise some police authority within their jurisdictions, introduced nationwide from 2021.
  • However, actual authority was limited, and most important security work was still handled by national police.
  • The Lee Jae-myung government aims to greatly expand autonomous police functions for regional security strengthening.
  • It plans to increase autonomous police roles in areas closely related to residents' daily lives such as public safety, traffic, and youth protection.

• Police power concentration prevention effects are expected. Main effects include:

  • Power concentration can be prevented through role sharing between national police and autonomous police.
  • More effective security services can be provided by establishing security policies suited to regional characteristics.
  • Transparency and accountability of police activities can be enhanced through democratic control by local governments.
  • It is expected to contribute to democratic development through transition from centralized to decentralized police systems.

✅ Building Democratic Control System

• Various check devices will be prepared. Main measures include:

  • The plan is to strengthen the independence and expertise of the National Police Committee to make it a substantial police control organization.
  • A governance system will be built with participation of experts from various fields including civil society, academia, and legal circles.
  • Regular audits and evaluations of police activities will be conducted to increase transparency.
  • National Assembly check functions through parliamentary audits and investigations are also expected to become more active.

• Long-term institutional improvement effects are expected. Main prospects include:

  • Police political neutrality will be secured, enabling fair and objective investigations and security activities.
  • Protection of citizens' basic rights and human rights-friendly police activities are expected to spread.
  • Public trust in police will improve and the quality of security services is expected to improve.
  • Establishment of democratic control systems will prevent abuse of power and strengthen the rule of law.

4️⃣ Related Terms Explanation

🔎 Police Bureau

• Police Bureau was an organization for Interior Minister's police control.
  • Police Bureau was an organization established within the Ministry of the Interior and Safety in August 2022 to support the minister's command and supervision authority over the Police Commissioner. The government at the time explained it was a measure to increase police responsibility and efficiency, but the opposition party and civil society strongly opposed it as violating police independence.
  • Main duties of Police Bureau included: First, overall coordination of police policies. Second, supporting police agency budget and organizational management. Third, handling police-related legislation maintenance and system improvements. Fourth, monitoring and evaluating police activities.
  • However, Police Bureau was controversial from its establishment. Criticism of violating police political neutrality, damaging investigation independence, and destroying democratic check systems was continuously raised, and abolition was finally decided in August 2025. This is evaluated as a symbolic measure of police reform.

🔎 National Police Committee

• National Police Committee is an organization responsible for democratic control of police.
  • National Police Committee is a democratic control organization for police established in 1991, created to ensure democratic and political neutrality of police operations. It consists of one chairperson and six members, appointed by the President after National Assembly personnel hearings.
  • Main functions of National Police Committee include: First, deliberating and deciding on basic plans for police policies. Second, exercising consent authority for appointment of Police Commissioner and regional police commissioners. Third, deliberating important matters regarding police budget and organization. Fourth, conducting audits and investigations of police activities.
  • The National Police Committee has been evaluated as not properly performing substantial functions due to legal authority constraints and secretariat weakness. In this reform, it plans to greatly strengthen independence and expertise to become a true police control organization.

🔎 Autonomous Police System

• Autonomous police system is a system where local governments handle regional security.
  • Autonomous police system means a system where local governments independently perform certain police affairs within their jurisdictions. Autonomous police committees have been established and operated in all cities and provinces nationwide since July 2021, aiming to provide customized security services suited to regional characteristics.
  • Main duties of autonomous police include: First, public safety activities such as patrol, crime prevention, and hazard removal. Second, traffic-related work such as maintaining traffic order and handling traffic accidents. Third, safety management of regional festivals and events. Fourth, youth protection and school violence prevention activities.
  • Advantages of autonomous police system include establishing security policies suited to regional conditions, democratic control through resident participation, and increased efficiency through role sharing with national police. However, challenges remain such as work overlap with national police, budget and personnel shortages, and securing expertise, requiring continuous improvement.

5️⃣ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q: Does Police Bureau abolition mean police become completely independent?

A: It's not complete independence, but independence is strengthened under democratic control.

• Police Bureau abolition does not mean complete police independence. In a democratic system, police must be controlled by institutions representing the people. First, democratic control through the National Police Committee will continue. This is a healthy check system with participation of civil society and experts. Second, checks through National Assembly audits and investigations will continue. Third, judicial control through court warrant reviews and trials will be maintained. Fourth, checks by other monitoring agencies like the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission and Board of Audit and Inspection will continue.
• The core of this reform is securing 'political neutrality'. The goal is to break free from direct and arbitrary control by executive ministers and enable independent work according to laws and principles. This creates an environment where police can work only for citizen safety and maintaining legal order without being used for specific government political purposes.

Q: Won't autonomous police system expansion create security gaps?

A: Security services are expected to improve through systematic role sharing and cooperation.

• Autonomous police system expansion is not expected to create security gaps because clear role sharing between national police and autonomous police will be established. First, major crime investigations, counter-terrorism, and national security-related work will still be handled by national police. Second, resident-oriented work such as public safety, traffic, and regional festival safety will be handled by autonomous police. Third, for wide-area crimes or complex cases, national police and autonomous police will cooperate in response. Fourth, roles can be flexibly adjusted according to situations through integrated command centers.
• Rather, autonomous police system expansion is expected to improve security service quality. Autonomous police who know regional characteristics well can provide customized security services at closer distances to residents. Also, under democratic control by local governments, they can respond more sensitively to residents' demands, and preventive proactive security activities are expected to be strengthened.

Q: How is police investigation independence guaranteed through this reform?

A: Investigation independence will be further strengthened through multi-layered check systems.

• Police investigation independence is expected to greatly improve through Police Bureau abolition and National Police Committee strengthening. First, the possibility of direct investigation intervention by executive ministers is blocked. Previously, the Interior Minister could intervene in investigations through the Police Bureau, but now such channels disappear. Second, the National Police Committee is composed of external experts and is relatively free from political influence. Third, important investigation-related matters will be decided through National Police Committee deliberation, increasing transparency and objectivity.
• Also, in a situation where police independent investigation authority has already been recognized through prosecution-police investigation authority adjustment, this reform serves to institutionally support that independence. However, investigation independence does not mean abuse of investigation authority. Various check devices such as court warrant reviews, National Police Committee monitoring, National Assembly checks, and civil society monitoring will operate to maintain balance.

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