South Korean police reform investigative management and AI crime response

The Korean National Police Agency is implementing structural changes to improve investigative management and combat high-tech crime. Following amendments to the Criminal Procedure Act, the police will establish dedicated departments at both headquarters and regional levels to manage and monitor cases where prosecutors request supplementary investigations.

To ensure impartiality, the agency will implement a ‘sangpi’ system for personnel appointments, ensuring that audit and human rights officers are not assigned to their home regions to prevent local ties from influencing investigations. Additionally, a new 40-person internal corruption investigation unit will be established under the National Investigation Headquarters.

In response to the rise in digital crimes, the police have also strengthened their technical capabilities to combat deepfakes. They have implemented a ‘three-tier response system’ involving AI-based detection software, forensic analysis of digital tools, and secondary verification by forensic video analysts. This system has been used in over 1,600 investigations this year, leading to the arrest of 419 suspects involved in deepfake crimes.