Police to deploy 4,000 additional investigators ahead of new criminal procedure law

With a revised Code of Criminal Procedure set to take effect next month, police are moving to bolster their investigative capacity. Anticipating a sharp rise in caseloads — particularly for everyday crimes — the Korean National Police Agency is significantly expanding its investigative workforce. About 4,000 investigators are being added across the first and second halves of this year, and the agency is also weighing efficiency measures that would outsource routine support tasks while continuing to grow headcount.

Acting Commissioner General Kim Jong-cheol said at a regular press briefing Monday at the agency's headquarters in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, that he has been hearing through various channels about investigators' anxiety and unease over the fundamental shift in the investigative system. "We reinforced investigative staffing by 1,907 in the first-half personnel reshuffle, and we plan to assign roughly 2,100 more in the scheduled second-half reshuffle," he said.

The staffing increases are a preemptive response to the expected surge in cases per investigator once the revised code takes effect. "We are conducting a comprehensive review of how many cases per investigator is appropriate to hold at any one time, and how many can realistically be closed in a year," Kim said. "Based on those benchmarks, we intend to expand the workforce through a combination of net new hires and redeployment," he added.

The agency is working to reduce the number of cases each investigator carries. "Last year, each investigator handled about 134 cases annually," Kim said. "After adding 1,907 officers in the first half of this year, that figure dropped to 103 per person. If we add roughly 2,100 more in the second-half reshuffle, I expect the number to stabilize at around 70 to 80 cases," he added.

Police plan to continue monitoring the appropriate ratio of annual cases per investigator as they assess the need for further staffing increases.

The agency recently decided to reduce the size of its mobile unit forces and redirect that personnel to investigative roles. The cuts to mobile units — which handle public order at rallies and protests — have raised concerns about potential gaps in policing.

Kim said that of the roughly 2,100 positions being filled in the second half, net new hires account for only a small fraction. "We are proceeding mainly through redeployment of existing personnel, including from the mobile units," he said. "Non-investigative departments will have to manage with seven or eight people doing work that ten used to handle, and I expect that will generate complaints," he added.

The agency is also examining ways to operate more efficiently going forward. "We need to boldly cut unnecessary work. Repetitive, routine tasks should have their burden reduced through the introduction of AI," Kim said. "If needed, simple support work could be opened up to the private sector, using retired officers and others," he added.

"We are looking at various ways to slim down the organization — keeping the parts where police must exercise judgment and bear responsibility — so that staff shortages translate into less of a burden on the people doing the work," he added.