The police will prohibit officers from directly investigating cases involving their spouses or direct relatives starting next month. This measure, known as a 'conflict of interest' policy, aims to eliminate concerns over the fairness of investigations.
On August 7, the National Police Agency announced during a meeting of the 'Task Force for Follow-up Measures to the Revised Criminal Procedure Act' that the conflict of interest policy will take effect in early September.
The policy applies when the parties involved in a case are the spouse or direct relatives of an officer who has worked at the police station handling the case within the last three years. Such cases will generally be assigned to a different police department.
This initiative follows the controversy surrounding the Jang Yoon-ki case, which raised questions about the integrity of police investigations. A comprehensive review conducted by the police identified 117 cases involving family members of officers.
The police will also reform their internal oversight system. In line with the regular personnel changes in the second half of the year, the investigative oversight functions currently managed by the National Investigation Agency will be transferred to the Human Rights Audit Office, and a new 'Internal Corruption Investigation Unit' will be established. This separation of investigative and oversight functions aims to enhance independence and objectivity.
Additionally, a 'proxy reporting system' will be introduced to protect the identities of whistleblowers. A separate subcommittee will be created within the Police Investigation Review Committee to handle cases involving vulnerable groups, and plans are underway to amend police laws by the end of the year to improve the effectiveness of the committee.
In preparation for the implementation of the revised Criminal Procedure Act on October 2, the police will also bolster their investigative personnel. They plan to reduce the number of police riot units in response to a decrease in illegal and violent gatherings and reallocate resources to add 881 investigative positions.
The police will continue to explore options for meeting additional personnel needs, including discussions with relevant departments and internal adjustments.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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