Police to roll out new policies ahead of Police Day on Wednesday

Kim Jong-cheol, acting commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency, surveys the scene of a knife attack in Incheon on Tuesday. [Korean National Police Agency]
Kim Jong-cheol, acting commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency, surveys the scene of a knife attack in Incheon on Tuesday. [Korean National Police Agency]

Kim Jong-cheol, acting commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency, said Monday that the agency would pursue a fundamental shift in public safety policy — moving away from a reactive model focused on receiving reports and processing cases toward one that proactively identifies and addresses the needs of the public.

Kim made the remarks at the agency's weekly staff meeting, saying the police would "implement a citizen-centered police service that helps people up close" to strengthen democratic accountability.

The police plan to increase transparency in their operations and expand the information made available to the public, including key public safety indicators.

As part of that effort, the agency plans to build a system allowing anyone to check the status of a reported case at any time, extend rights protection and victim support — previously offered only during the investigation stage — across the entire case-handling process, and post key public safety data such as the number of 112 emergency calls and traffic complaints on the agency's website.

In addition, to mark Police Week, the agency will change its official English name from "Korea National Police Agency" to "Korean National Police Service." A police official said the new name reflects the agency's commitment to becoming a public safety service organization that puts the safety and rights of citizens first.

Kim said the agency would "work harder to restore public trust by proactively disclosing a wide range of police activities and keeping citizens informed of the objective state of public safety."


arin@heraldcorp.com