Police overhaul 81% of assistant commissioner posts, fully apply no-local-ties rule to provincial police chiefs

[Financial News] The police carried out personnel reshuffles for chief superintendent general and assistant commissioner posts in the second half of this year. In a major overhaul aimed at strengthening fairness and accountability in police work, the no-local-ties rule was fully applied to all provincial police chiefs nationwide, and more than 80% of assistant commissioner positions were replaced.
The National Police Agency said on the 1st that it had carried out the second-half 2026 personnel transfers for chief superintendent general and assistant commissioner posts, including the appointment of Kim Jongcheol, chief of the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency, as deputy commissioner of the National Police Agency.
In the chief superintendent general reshuffle, Kim Jongcheol, chief of the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency, was promoted and named deputy commissioner of the National Police Agency. Go Beom-seok, chief of the Jeonnam Provincial Police Agency, was named commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, and Yoo Seung-ryeol, director of investigation planning and coordination at the National Office of Investigation, was named commissioner of the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency.
At the assistant commissioner level, a large-scale replacement took place. According to the National Police Agency, 81% of all assistant commissioner posts were changed in this reshuffle. In particular, 14 of the 18 provincial police chiefs nationwide, or 78%, were replaced.
The police explained that the no-local-ties rule was fully applied to all provincial police chiefs in order to restore public trust. The rule bars officials with ties to a particular region from serving in key posts in that area.
As a result, Kim Seong-jae, head of public security intelligence at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, will move to become spokesperson for the National Police Agency, while Song Yu-cheol, head of general affairs at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, will become director of planning and coordination at the National Police Agency. Yoo Yoon-jong, chief of the Ulsan Metropolitan Police Agency, will move to head personnel and general affairs planning at the National Police Agency. Park Hyun-soo, head of the Police Human Resources Development Institute, will become director of future policing policy, Kim Young-geun, chief of the Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency, will become director of crime prevention and response, and Kim Dong-gwon, chief of the Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police Agency, will become director of international police cooperation. Assistant Commissioner Son Je-han will become head of the Police Human Resources Development Institute, and Do Jun-su, director of future policing policy at the National Police Agency, will move to become principal of the Central Police Academy (CPA).
Go Pyeong-gi, chief of the Jeju Provincial Police Agency and a previously nominated chief superintendent general, was excluded from the final promotion and transfer list and reassigned as director of public safety and traffic at the National Police Agency.
At the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, Song Byeong-seon, head of the wide-area investigation unit at the Gyeonggi Dongbu Provincial Police Agency, will be promoted to deputy commissioner for investigations, while Nam Je-hyeon, principal of the Central Police Academy (CPA), will move to deputy commissioner for public safety.
Provincial police chiefs are also being widely replaced. Park Jun-seong, acting director of international police cooperation at the National Police Agency, has been nominated for promotion as acting chief of the Daegu Metropolitan Police Agency. Yang Yeong-woo, commander of the 101st Security Unit at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, will be promoted to chief of the Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency. Choi Bo-hyeon, deputy commissioner for investigations at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, will move to chief of the Ulsan Metropolitan Police Agency. Lee Seung-hyeop, director of crime prevention and response at the National Police Agency, will become chief of the Gyeonggi Bukbu Provincial Police Agency, and Kwak Byeong-woo, spokesperson for the National Police Agency, will move to chief of the Gangwon Provincial Police Agency.
Park Jong-seop, deputy commissioner for public safety at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, will become chief of the Chungbuk Provincial Police Agency, while Lee Seo-young, acting director of public safety and traffic at the National Police Agency, has been nominated for promotion as acting chief of the Chungnam Western Veterans Affairs Office. Shin Hyo-seop, chief of the Chungbuk Provincial Police Agency, will move to the Jeonbuk Police Agency, and Kim Ho-seung, chief of the Chungnam Western Veterans Affairs Office, will move to the Jeonnam Provincial Police Agency.
Park Hyun-soo, an assistant commissioner assigned to the Joint Government Investigation Headquarters for Drug Crimes at the National Police Agency, will be promoted to chief of the Gyeongbuk Provincial Police Agency, while Lee Jae-young, chief of the Jeonbuk Police Agency, will move to the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency. Kim Byeong-chan, head of personnel and general affairs planning at the National Police Agency, will move to become chief of the Jeju Provincial Police Agency.
In this reshuffle, the police assigned two investigation specialists to key posts at the National Office of Investigation. The agency said the move is intended to increase accountability in police investigations under revisions to the Criminal Procedure Act of the Republic of Korea and to strengthen on-the-ground investigative capabilities.
In line with that, Kim Gwang-sik, chief of the Seoul Gwanak Police Station, will be promoted to director of investigation planning and coordination at the National Office of Investigation, while Oh Seung-jin, head of investigations at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, will be promoted to director of investigations at the National Office of Investigation.
The police also plan to expand the application of the no-local-ties rule in follow-up personnel appointments to key posts, including heads of inspection, audit, and human rights divisions at provincial police agencies.
A National Police Agency official said, "We will continue to improve the personnel system by expanding the application of the no-local-ties rule to key posts, including heads of inspection, audit, and human rights divisions at provincial police agencies, so that we can strengthen trust and fairness in police work."

[email protected] Kim Ye-ji Reporter