South Korean Police announce major investigation and disciplinary reforms

The Korean National Police Agency is implementing structural reforms to enhance investigation integrity and accountability. A new dedicated organization will be established across provincial police agencies to manage cases involving requests for supplementary investigations, re-investigations, or corrective measures from prosecutors. This includes the deployment of 144 personnel nationwide to ensure the completeness of investigations and facilitate communication with the prosecution.

To combat internal corruption, the National Investigation Headquarters will launch a ‘Major Duty Crime Investigation Unit’ to target crimes such as bribery, leakage of official secrets, and investigation misconduct. Additionally, the agency is introducing a policy to permanently bar high-ranking officers (from Senior Superintendent level and above) who receive heavy disciplinary action for serious misconduct—including sexual offenses, drunk driving, bribery, or workplace bullying—from holding key positions such as station chiefs or roles in investigation and audit departments.

Furthermore, the police are considering the deployment of legal experts as ‘investigation reviewers’ at local police stations to prevent negligent investigations and improve the legal rigor of cases sent to prosecution.