New Daegu police chief vows to build safer city 'from citizens' perspective'

Park Jun-sung was inaugurated as the 39th chief of the Daegu Metropolitan Police Agency on Thursday and officially assumed his duties.

In his inaugural address, Park said public safety in Daegu must be built together with its citizens and from their perspective. "We will focus our policing activities on the ground and actively communicate and cooperate with local communities," he said.

He also pledged to closely analyze crime data to develop region-specific crime prevention and response strategies, and vowed to pursue to the end what he called "livelihood crimes" threatening daily life — including voice phishing, drug offenses and cybercrime.

Park added that he would work to build a "smart Daegu police" capable of proactively responding to crimes involving AI and other emerging technologies, while improving working conditions through open communication with colleagues to foster a more motivated organizational culture.

Immediately after the inauguration ceremony, Park visited a police officer who suffered a pelvic fracture while apprehending a suspect who had fled after a collision involving 10 vehicles in the early hours of Wednesday.

Park joined the police force in 1996 as a member of the 44th class of police officer candidates. He has since served as commander of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's special operations unit, chief of the Seoul Nowon Police Station, and acting director of the Korean National Police Agency's International Police Cooperation Bureau.