Law enforcement in South Korea

thumb|[[Hyundai Sonata police car in Gimhae.]]

thumb|South Korean and North Korean authorities at the [[Korean Demilitarized Zone.]]

South Korea has multiple law enforcement organizations. The national police (KNPA), provincial police, border guard, national coast guard, tax service, and Korea Customs Service are all different branches of law enforcement within South Korea. The KNPA is overseen by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

The police organizations of the Republic of Korea, including the KNPA and the provincial police, are primarily tasked with protecting individuals and property against crime. Their main duty is to serve the citizens of the country by enforcing the law or preventing and investigating crimes against bodily injury and property damage. They also play a significant role in guarding public and private infrastructure as well as conducting counter-espionage in the interest of national security.

Conducting counterterrorism operations; collecting, preparing, and distributing security information; controlling traffic and preventing harm, seeking international cooperation with foreign government agencies and international organizations; and other duties are carried out to maintain public peace and order.

History

Ancient Korea

Before the Koryo era, there were many records about criminal law, but there are no accurate records about policing during this period. Law enforcement would have been significantly different than today's modern policing, and as such it is hard to distinguish from the records what style of enforcement occurred in the ancient era. During this time, some people speculate that there was no complete differentiation between government organizations and military organizations.

Goryeo and Joseon dynasties

During these dynasties, there was an ancient judicial department, often referred to as the anti-criminal department, which oversaw public cooperation and order. A captain in this department was appointed to oversee police affairs. In 1835, the organization was expanded to the left and right anti-criminal department. In 1884, the left and right podo offices were abolished, and a newly established police department oversaw enforcement of public order within the capital.

Korean Empire (1897–1910)

The modern police system was introduced before the establishment of the Korean Empire in 1897 but was greatly expanded during this period. In 1899, the police chief was no longer a simple official, but had been promoted to the cabinet through a formal appointment as police minister. The police minister was tasked with oversight of all public security work throughout the empire. In 1901, the Ministry of Police was reorganized into an internal police department, and the Minister of Interior became the domain for police affairs.

The provincial police ministers were concurrently the provincial gendarmerie captains, responsible for affairs of the police organizations within their provinces. The police chief was then responsible for the police affairs of military units. Lower-ranked captains within the military police would then have the same authority as the chief of police, taking on responsibilities beyond the authority of the police chief. Generally, the police were deployed in areas that mainly need to maintain order, such as the port of departure, while the military police were deployed near military structures or border areas, where it was believed there were militias. However, as of July 2018, there are sixteen female police officers ranked superintendent or higher. There is only one female police officer in the current position of superintendent of police or higher. In response to low female representation among police officers, the KNPA abolished the gender restriction ratio when recruiting police academy recruits and hiring police executive candidates. The government is expected to eliminate gender discrimination in police officer recruitment in the future.

Equipment

Transportation

Korean police use various mobile devices to respond to security demands. The most common is a five-seater sedan. Where the geography is either mountainous or an island, a sports utility vehicle (SUV) may also be used. In addition, motorcycles are used, and rotary wing aircraft are operated for aerial operations. Buses are used to transport police officers in large numbers.

The coast guard operates thirty five large ships, thirty nine medium ships, and 110 small ships. Additionally, 139 special ships, six fixed-wing ships, and eighteen rotary-wing ships in order to respond to security demands at sea.

Firearms

Currently, South Korean police are allowed to carry 38-caliber pistols during operations. According to official data from the KNPA, the Smith & Wesson Model 10 is the service revolver recommended by the agency for police. However, this gun has become outdated, and firearm technology and policing trends have encouraged the adoption of the S&W Model 60 by many departments. This revolver has a reduced barrel and weight and uses 357 Magnum bullets..

List of law enforcement organisations

National Organisations

Ministry of the Interior and Safety
National Police Agency
Ministry of Economy and Finance
National Tax Service
Investigation Bureau
International Taxation Bureau
Investigation and Surveillance Bureau
Information Management and International Affairs Bureau
Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport
Railway Police
Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries
Korea Coast Guard (KCG; Korean: 해양경찰청; Sino-Korean word: 海洋警察廳, Revised Romanization: Haeyang-gyeongchal-cheong, literally translates to the "National Maritime Police Agency")
Ministry of Justice
Prosecution Service
Provincial Prosecutors' Office
Korea Immigration Service
Border Control Division
Investigation & Enforcement Division
Intelligence Division
Korea Correctional Service
National Intelligence Service (formerly the Korea Central Intelligence Agency [KCIA] and the Agency for National Security Planning [ANSP])

The Korean National Police Agency

KNPA leadership consists of one deputy commissioner general who oversees eight bureaus, nine offices, and thirty two divisions.

The Community Safety, Investigation, Traffic, and Foreign Affairs Bureaus are responsible for basic policing. Public Security, Intelligence, and National Security Bureaus govern public order. Spokesperson's Office, Planning and Coordination Office, Police Administration and Human Resources Office, Audit and Inspection Office, ICT and Equipment Policy Office, Scientific Investigation Office, and Police Situation Control Center provide administrative support.

Affiliated institutions include the Korean National Police University, Police Training Institute, Central Police Academy, Korean Police Investigation Academy and the National Police Hospital.

Furthermore, the Korean National Police is regionally divided over the 18 metropolitan areas and provinces, placing 255 stations, 518 precincts and 1,433 police boxes under metropolitan and provincial police agencies.

Provincial organisations

Provincial Police Agencies: Seoul, Busan, Daegu, Incheon, Daejeon, Gwangju, Ulsan, Gyeonggi Nambu, Gyeonggi Bukbu, Gangwon, Chungbuk, Chungnam, Jeonbuk, Jeonnam, Gyeongbuk, Gyeongnam, Jeju.

References

External links

Korea National Police Agency Official website
Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Official website
Korea, South: Korean National Police—photius.com
South Korea—A Comparative Criminology Tour of the World
"SOUTH KOREA: Police brutality against protesting farmers must end"—Asian Human Rights Commission
"Workers' Anger on the Rise in South Korea"—PICIS Newsletter, no. 74, 4 July 2000
Korean Police Operation 101 -Part 1: Contacting the Korean Police—naver.com blog