Police chief post vacant for 1 year and 11 months... Review of recommendation for next chief’s appointment today

[Financial News] The process of selecting a new head for the police organization, which has operated under an acting leadership structure for 1 year and 11 months, is gathering momentum. As the National Police Commission begins reviewing a motion consenting to the recommendation of a candidate for the next National Police Agency chief, attention is focused on whether the long-standing vacancy at the top of the police force will be filled.
According to police on the 6th, the National Police Commission is scheduled to hold a meeting at 1:30 p.m. that day to review a motion consenting to the recommendation of a candidate for the next National Police Agency chief.
Those being discussed as candidates for the next National Police Agency chief include acting chief Kim Jong-chul (deputy chief of the National Police Agency), Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency chief Go Beom-seok, and Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency chief Yoo Seung-ryeol. Kim is reportedly the leading candidate among them.
The National Police Agency chief is nominated by the Minister of the Interior and Safety with the consent of the National Police Commission, and appointed by the president through the prime minister. The nominee must also undergo a National Assembly confirmation hearing before the final appointment.
The police have maintained an acting leadership structure since December 2024, when then National Police Agency chief Cho Ji-ho was arrested on an emergency basis on suspicion of involvement in the Dec. 3 emergency martial law declaration and suspended from duty following impeachment proceedings. Three people have served successively as acting National Police Agency chief: former deputy chiefs Lee Ho-young and Jaesung Yoo, followed by the current acting chief, Kim.
This month marks the 23rd month without a permanent National Police Agency chief serving in the role. With the revised Criminal Procedure Act taking effect last month and expanding the police’s responsibility for investigations, calls have continued for the appointment of a permanent chief who can lead the organization steadily.
If the National Police Commission passes the motion consenting to the recommendation, subsequent procedures, including the recommendation by the Minister of the Interior and Safety, are expected to proceed.
[email protected] Kim Ye-ji Reporter