With the abolition of prosecutors' supplementary investigative authority, the Coast Guard's investigative powers have expanded. However, more than one in three investigators in the Coast Guard has less than three years of experience. There are also ongoing concerns about the loss of specialized personnel, highlighting the need for enhanced expertise.
On October 4, Rep. Lim Mi-ae of the Democratic Party, a member of the National Assembly's Agriculture, Food, Rural Affairs, Oceans and Fisheries Committee, revealed data from the Coast Guard. Among the 783 police officers working in the Coast Guard's investigative department this year, 283, or 36.1%, have less than three years of investigative experience.
Additionally, 102 officers, or 13.0% of the total investigative personnel, have less than one year of experience. However, the proportion of less experienced investigators has been decreasing recently. The percentage of officers with less than three years of experience rose from 45.2% in 2021 to 65.6% in 2022, before dropping to 43.4% in 2023, 42.8% in 2024, and 39.8% last year, finally reaching 36.1% this year.
There has also been a continued loss of specialized personnel. Since 2019, the Coast Guard has granted 'investigative qualifications' to officers with a certain level of expertise to strengthen its investigative capabilities. However, from 2024 to last year, a total of 142 individuals were removed from this qualification.
According to the Coast Guard's personnel management regulations, officers who have held investigative qualifications for three years can apply for removal if they wish. Investigative qualifications can also be revoked if an officer receives disciplinary action for accepting bribes or for serious human rights violations. Other forms of misconduct can also lead to revocation.
Among the 142 individuals who lost their investigative qualifications from 2024 to 2025, more than half, 72 (50.7%), voluntarily returned their qualifications. Three officers had their qualifications revoked due to serious disciplinary issues such as bribery, while nine were removed for other misconduct.
As the Coast Guard's investigative role expands following the abolition of prosecutors' supplementary investigative authority, there are calls for measures to enhance the professionalism of investigative personnel and reduce the loss of specialized staff.
Rep. Lim stated, “Coast Guard investigators require a high level of expertise not only for general criminal investigations but also to determine the causes of maritime accidents and crimes. We need to establish effective measures to enhance the professional capabilities of investigators and control the expanded investigative authority.”
* This article has been translated by AI.
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