Police seek to bring INTERPOL Asia-Pacific Regional Office to Seoul; plan to launch drug task force in 2027

[Financial News] Police are seeking to bring the proposed INTERPOL Asia-Pacific Regional Office to Seoul to enable a coordinated response to transnational drug crime. Before that, they plan to launch a drug response task force (TF) in 2027, with INTERPOL and police officers from member countries in the region taking part.
The National Police Agency said on the 6th that it would attend the INTERPOL Global Drug Conference, being held in Prague, Czechia, from the 6th to the 8th, and discuss ways to coordinate efforts to combat drug crime through INTERPOL. A total of 89 countries are participating in the meeting.
A delegation led by Kim Dong-gwon, head of the National Police Agency’s International Police Cooperation Bureau, is set to unveil for the first time its plan to bring an INTERPOL Asia-Pacific Regional Office to Seoul on the 8th, the final day of the meeting, local time, and invite member countries to take part.
The National Police Agency plans to pursue the regional office in stages. First, following consultations with INTERPOL, it will seek to launch an INTERPOL Drug Response TF in 2027, made up of INTERPOL staff and police officers seconded from member countries in the region. The plan is then to open the Asia-Pacific Regional Office in Seoul in 2029, timed to coincide with the INTERPOL General Assembly there, subject to approval by the INTERPOL Executive Committee and General Assembly.
Until the regional office opens, the Drug Response TF will perform a comparable role. INTERPOL staff and police officers seconded from member countries in the region will be based there, integrating and analyzing information on drug cases and planning and coordinating multinational joint operations. The TF also plans to support the issuance of wanted notices, the pursuit of fugitives and tracing of criminal proceeds, as well as training investigators from member countries.
The Asia-Pacific Regional Office is expected to complement INTERPOL’s existing hubs by providing ongoing support for joint operations, information analysis and training among countries in the region. It will initially focus on combating drug crime, then expand its work to other transnational crimes, including digital sex crimes and scams.
The National Police Agency plans to continue follow-up discussions, including holding high-level talks with the INTERPOL General Secretariat and submitting a letter of intent to host the Asia-Pacific Regional Office on the occasion of the INTERPOL General Assembly in Hong Kong this December.
“Because drug crime knows no borders, it is crucial not only to block drugs from entering the country but also to strike at their sources of supply,” Director Kim said. “To do that, we need a hub where member countries in the region can share information on an ongoing basis and conduct joint operations.” He added, “We will work closely with INTERPOL and member countries in the region and make every effort to launch the TF and bring the regional office to Seoul.”
[email protected] Yeji Kim Reporter