Staffing costs included in next year's government budget proposal

New bureau to strengthen protections as stalking classified as serious crime

A press conference is held in front of the fountain at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on March 17 regarding the Namyangju stalking murder case. [Yonhap]
A press conference is held in front of the fountain at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on March 17 regarding the Namyangju stalking murder case. [Yonhap]

Police will establish a new Women and Youth Safety Bureau next year to better protect victims of stalking and relationship violence. Kim Jong-chul, nominee for Korean National Police Agency commissioner general, doubled down on overhauling the response system for relationship-based crimes as his top priority.

"There is much the police must do to ease public anxiety over serious crimes such as relationship-based offenses and to embed the new criminal justice framework," Kim said Monday.

Kim said the agency would review whether field manuals are being properly followed and work closely with related ministries to address any legal gaps. "I will also focus on securing the personnel and budget needed so that officers on the ground can carry out their duties with confidence and conviction," he said.

Responding to a written question Monday about whether funding for the new bureau had been included in next year's government budget proposal, Kim said interagency consultations had been completed and that the additional personnel costs for the expanded workforce had been reflected in the budget proposal.

"Once next year's budget is finalized through the National Assembly's budget deliberations, the Women and Youth Safety Bureau is set to be established within 2027 following the necessary revisions to the agency's organizational structure," Kim said.

According to police, next year's government budget proposal also includes new funding for scenario-based training for field officers on relationship-based crimes and for specialized services to detect location-tracking devices.

Additional funding for victim safety measures using AI-enabled closed-circuit television cameras has also been allocated.

Police plan to seek further budget increases during the National Assembly's budget review process to fund offender isolation facilities and expand staffing in the women and youth division.

The Women and Youth Safety Bureau would be spun off and elevated from its current position as a function under the Lifestyle Safety and Traffic Bureau into a standalone bureau. It would comprise three divisions — the existing Women's Safety Planning Division and Youth Protection Division, plus a newly added Crime Victim Protection Division.

The Crime Victim Protection Division is the centerpiece of the new structure. It would oversee protection for victims of relationship-based crimes such as stalking and intimate partner violence, and handle victim safety measures and risk assessments.

Kim had said earlier, after completing the National Police Commission's review for his appointment recommendation on Friday, that "the most urgent task is to overhaul the systems and field manuals so that the public does not fall victim to random-motive crimes or relationship-based crimes."


kido@heraldcorp.com