81st Police Day ... Acting Korean National Police Agency chief: “We will earn the public’s trust through fair investigations that respect human rights”

[Financial News] Kim Jong-cheol, acting chief of the Korean National Police Agency, stressed that the police would become an institution the public could trust through fair investigations that respect human rights, as the country marked the 81st anniversary of Police Day.
The Korean National Police Agency held a ceremony marking the 81st anniversary of Police Day at Chamsuri Hall at its headquarters in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, on the morning of the 21st, with about 500 invited guests and police officials in attendance.
In his welcoming remarks, Kim said, “Protecting the lives and safety of the public is the reason the police exist.” He added, “When people are in danger, we will be the first to reach them; we will respond firmly to crimes against vulnerable members of society and protect victims, while conducting fair investigations that respect human rights, so that the public can always trust and rely on the police.”
This year’s ceremony focused on reaffirming the commitment to protect the lives and safety of the public through police reform and renewal. In particular, it set out plans to improve the completeness and professionalism of investigations in line with the new criminal justice system, and to strengthen capabilities in community safety and AI-powered scientific policing.
The main slogan for this year’s ceremony, reflecting these goals, was “A police force taking a new leap forward—we will protect the public’s safety even more firmly!” The phrase “Closer to the people, stronger on trust,” selected through a public contest held from the 23rd to the 30th of last month, will serve as a guiding slogan encapsulating the values the police will continue to pursue.
Attendees included police heroes and the families of officers who died in the line of duty, police cadets, candidates recruited through the open hiring track for police inspectors, trainees at the Central Police Academy (CPA), representatives of overseas police agencies, and foreign diplomatic envoys stationed in Korea.
The ceremony also paid tribute to this year’s police heroes, the late Sergeant Shim Yeon-su and the late Inspector Kim Seon-hyeon. Sergeant Shim died in the line of duty in 1963 after rescuing a citizen who was on the tracks at Mukho Station in Donghae City, Gangwon Province, as a train approached. Inspector Kim died in 2018 after being stabbed while subduing a suspect, having responded to a report of a disturbance in Yeongyang County, North Gyeongsang Province.
The Korean National Police Agency screened videos using AI technology to reconstruct the two officers’ activities and achievements during their lifetimes, and presented their families with plaques recognizing them as police heroes.
Inspector Kim’s daughter and son-in-law are also currently serving as police officers, it was reported. His daughter, Police Corporal Kim Seong-eun, paid tribute to her father, saying, “Now that I’ve become a police officer, I think I understand how my father, when someone was in danger, didn’t spare himself and had no time to feel afraid.”
Government awards were also presented to people who had contributed to the development of public safety. A total of 474 people received decorations, medals, and commendations from the president and prime minister, including Superintendent Kim Seong-jun, head of the Public Security Information Division at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, who received the Order of Service Merit, Red Stripes. The recipients included 30 decoration awardees, 32 medal recipients, 201 presidential commendations, and 211 prime ministerial commendations.
Superintendent Kim was recognized for his work to expand nationwide the implementation of a plan to shift the paradigm for rallies and demonstrations, and to introduce an online rally notification system. Kim Cheol-su, an officer in charge of investigation review policy at the Korean National Police Agency, received the Service Merit Medal for contributing to the overhaul of investigative procedures and systems following the amended Criminal Procedure Act’s entry into force, as well as the establishment of an investigation oversight system.
At the ceremony, acting chief Kim and 14 frontline police officers read the Law Enforcement Code of Ethics together, reflecting on the police’s core values and responsibilities. A celebratory performance followed, with frontline officers and members of the public singing “To You” by the late Shin Hae-chul.
Exhibition areas introducing the direction of police reform and renewal and major public safety achievements were set up in locations including the first-floor lobby of the Korean National Police Agency’s main building. They included a space presenting feedback gathered through public listening sessions and the process of change within the police, an electronic memorial hall for police heroes, and an exhibition on AI-powered scientific policing and investigative achievements.
The AI scientific policing exhibition demonstrated the “Next-Generation Intelligent Investigative Data Analysis Solution (CORE-MINING),” which supports the standardization and analysis of investigative materials and the preparation of reports, and the “Geographic Profiling System (GeoProsX),” which assists with crime prevention and the apprehension of suspects, among other technologies.
Also introduced were AI tools to support investigations by recommending similar cases and helping draft search and seizure warrants, as well as “IRIS (C-IRIS),” which analyzes big data related to phishing and requests the blocking of phone numbers and the sharing of information with financial institutions.
An exhibition highlighting efforts to combat overseas criminal organizations covered international cooperation cases, including crackdowns on scam compounds in Cambodia and the repatriation of Park Wang-yeol to South Korea.
The Korean National Police Agency plans to open the exhibition to members of the public who registered in advance, from this afternoon through the morning of the 23rd. Related events will also be held during Police Week, which marks Police Day, including the Korea Police World Expo (KPEX), a general assembly of the international cooperation consultative body, and Police Memorial Week.
[email protected] Kim Ye-ji Reporter