National Office of Investigation to conduct constant reviews of livelihood-related complaints and accusations to prevent investigation delays

The Financial News: The police will expand their system so that the status of investigations into complaints and accusations closely tied to ordinary people’s daily lives is monitored on a constant basis.
The Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) National Office of Investigation announced on the 18th that, in order to ensure swift and fair handling of livelihood-related cases, it will expand to a system under which investigations into complaints and accusations are continuously reviewed and managed.
Previously, the KNPA in June last year, following the launch of the Lee Jae-myung administration, increased its investigative workforce by 1,907 officers to strengthen the police’s investigative capacity. Building on this, the National Office of Investigation, which had been selecting quarterly themes—such as procedures for notifying parties of case progress and management of investigation information leaks—for inspection, will shift to a system in which professional personnel are stationed at investigation sites to directly check, guide, and inspect the progress of investigations.
Specifically, a total of 79 investigation experts will be stationed in the field, including 6 from the National Office of Investigation, 36 investigation and inspection officers at each Provincial Police Agency, and 37 Investigation Review Officers. They will examine whether there are any procedural violations or intentional delays in handling cases under way at investigation units of Provincial Police Agencies and police stations nationwide, and will provide guidance by reviewing the legal application to each case and the appropriateness of investigation outcomes.
In particular, cases that may be neglected or intentionally delayed—such as those in which more than six months have passed since a complaint or accusation was filed, cases closed at the pre-booking inquiry stage, and unmanaged pending cases—will be designated as key targets for intensive review.
In addition, if serious or repeated mistakes by investigators are identified during the review process, the authorities plan to take strict measures, including removing them from investigative duties and imposing disciplinary action.
A National Office of Investigation official said, “We expect that constant monitoring of the handling of livelihood-related cases such as fraud, Voice phishing (vishing), and drug offenses will heighten a sense of alertness and attention in frontline investigation units, thereby further strengthening the speed and fairness of police investigations.”
welcome@fnnews.com Jang Yu-ha Reporter