Police Introduce Family-Case Recusal System, Extending Coverage to Siblings

[Financial News] Police will introduce a recusal-and-transfer system for cases involving officers’ family members starting on the 9th to enhance the fairness and credibility of investigations. The system, known as “sangpi-je,” will cover not only spouses and direct ascendants and descendants but also siblings.
The Korean National Police Agency announced on the 8th that it will implement the system, under which a police station will not directly investigate a case involving a police officer’s family member as a person involved in the case, but will transfer it to another station.
The system applies when a spouse, direct ascendant or descendant, or sibling of a police officer who currently works—or worked within the past three years—at the station handling the investigation is identified as a person involved in the case. After a recusal request, the case will be transferred to another police station within the same court jurisdiction under the direction of the relevant metropolitan or provincial police agency.
However, not every family-related case will be transferred without exception. The original station may continue the investigation if it is necessary to protect the victim or if circumstances make a transfer difficult, such as when detention follows an emergency arrest or an in-the-act arrest. In such cases, approval from the head of the relevant metropolitan or provincial police agency is required.
For cases in which the original station exceptionally continues the investigation, police will require monthly reviews of whether the case is being handled appropriately and whether it needs to be transferred to another station.
The system was established to prevent potential conflicts of interest that could arise when handling cases involving police officers’ family members. The police had previously conducted a full review of 117 family-related cases before pursuing its introduction. The review identified 45 cases involving police officers’ family members as suspects or persons suspected of involvement, and 72 cases involving them as victims, complainants, accusers, or petitioners.
At its fourth meeting last month, the Police Investigation Reform Committee also recommended expanding the scope of family-related cases to improve the system’s effectiveness. The inclusion of siblings in addition to spouses and direct ascendants and descendants reflects that recommendation.
The Korean National Police Agency plans to continue discussions on institutional improvements, including follow-up measures following the implementation of the Criminal Procedure Act of the Republic of Korea and stronger oversight of police investigations.
[email protected] Ye-ji Kim Reporter