Korean National Police Agency Launches Reform Task Force Ahead of Criminal Justice System Changes

SEOUL, Sept. 9 (Yonhap) -- The Korean National Police Agency (KNPA) on Wednesday launched a dedicated body to spearhead sweeping organizational reforms ahead of next month's implementation of a new criminal justice system that will transfer investigative authority from prosecutors to police.

The police reform task force will seek to overhaul the police's organizational culture and operational systems based on feedback from the public and frontline officers, the KNPA said.

The task force will hold public hearings across the country through November under the theme "Let's listen to the people on the path of police reform," while also operating an online channel to gather public feedback.

The opinions collected will be immediately incorporated into reform measures, the KNPA said, adding the progress and future plans will be unveiled in mid-December.

The task force comprises 15 members divided into two teams and is led by an officer with the rank of inspector general.

The revised Criminal Procedure Act takes effect on Oct. 2, stripping the prosecution of its authority to conduct direct investigations, including supplementary investigations. Prosecutors will instead be allowed to request judicial police officers to carry out supplementary investigations.

Public outcry has also grown after a Jeju police officer was found to have wrongfully closed the case of a missing woman without confirming her safety in May, a move that may have contributed to her death.

A separate allegation that police in Gwangju, 270 kilometers south of Seoul, had leaked investigative materials to a murder suspect's father, who is also a police officer in the city, deepened public distrust of the police.