![Patrol robots parade at the 2026 Korea Police Expo (KPEX) held at Songdo Convensia in Yeonsu-gu, Incheon, on Wednesday. [Kim A-rin]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/10/23/9/news-p.v1.20261023.762dba3d18354f9eb0edce3c5995448b_P2.jpeg)
The Public Safety Policy Research Institute of the Korean National Police University held an academic seminar Friday at Songdo Convensia in Incheon on the sidelines of the 2026 Korea Police Expo (KPEX), focusing on the direction of police investigation systems following the separation of investigation and indictment powers.
The seminar was organized to explore policy directions for strengthening investigative expertise and public trust as police bear greater responsibility for criminal investigations under a reformed criminal justice system.
About 100 people attended, including police officials, academics from the Korean Association of Public Safety Administration and the Korean Society of Criminology, and researchers specializing in police investigations and criminal justice.
Yoon Dong-ho, a professor at Kookmin University's School of Law, stressed the importance of a "virtuous cycle of talent" to improve police investigative capacity. "If officers are held accountable for the authority and discretion granted to them, and if their job security and compensation reflect that responsibility, talented people will be drawn to the force," he said.
Jang Han-ju, director of the Public Safety Policy Research Institute, said the institute would continue to identify timely research topics and host events bringing together experts from diverse fields. "We will do our utmost to proactively respond to the changing public safety environment and advance police policy research that earns the trust of the public," he said.
Kim Jong-cheol, acting commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency, said in a congratulatory address that police must strengthen their investigative capacity and expertise in line with the changed environment and build public trust as a responsible investigative body. "I hope this seminar will serve as a meaningful occasion to pool the experience and wisdom of academia and the field in charting the future direction of the investigation system," he said.
The Public Safety Policy Research Institute, affiliated with the Korean National Police University, is the country's only dedicated public safety research institution. Founded in 1980, it conducts policy research across a range of areas including crime prevention, criminal investigation, police organization and science-based policing.
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