South Gyeongsang police add 164 investigators ahead of revised criminal procedure law

The South Gyeongsang Provincial Police Agency has deployed 164 additional investigators to frontline units ahead of the revised Code of Criminal Procedure taking effect Oct. 2, aiming to prevent delays in handling complaints and strengthen investigative capacity.

The move comes with a significant caveat, however: more than 83 percent of the newly assigned officers have no prior investigative experience, making their on-the-job adaptation and professional development the central challenge to a smooth transition.

The agency said Monday it expanded the number of investigators in the province — excluding support staff — from 1,697 to 1,861, a 9.7 percent increase of 164 officers, through a second-half personnel reshuffle. Thirteen officers were added to the agency's investigation review and cybercrime divisions, while 151 were deployed to local police stations across the province.

The expansion did not increase the organization's authorized headcount. Instead, the agency redistributed its existing workforce by reassigning newly transferred officers who arrived in late August, along with personnel drawn from mobile units and the provincial wide-area patrol team, to investigative divisions.

The bulk of the frontline additions went to integrated investigation teams, which handle the heaviest caseloads of everyday crimes. Of the 151 officers sent to local stations, 102 — or 67.5 percent — were assigned to integrated investigation teams that specialize in economic and complaint-driven cases such as fraud and embezzlement.

As a result, the province's integrated investigation workforce grew 20.2 percent, from 505 to 607 officers. Assignments were concentrated at the 10 first-tier stations in the province that carry the heaviest caseloads, while third-tier stations in county-level areas each received roughly one to three additional officers.

The quality of frontline investigative capacity remains a concern. Of the 164 newly assigned officers, 137 — or 83.5 percent — are first-time investigators with no prior experience in the field.

Under the revised code, police must meet a three-month statutory deadline for processing complaints and manage supplementary investigation requests from prosecutors under stricter rules. Critics warn that inexperienced investigators could cause case delays or raise questions about investigative quality.

To minimize disruption, the agency plans to run intensive training through the end of the year. New investigators will undergo a one-month program at the national police investigation academy, with additional group and video sessions organized by the provincial agency to be rolled out in stages.

The agency also formally elevated its investigation review unit from a section-level team to a full division. The upgraded division will coordinate more systematically with prosecutors and take dedicated charge of managing the growing volume of supplementary investigation requests.

Agency Commissioner Lee Jae-young said officers were selected primarily from volunteers who had passed the investigative qualification exam. "Because the majority are first-time investigators, we cannot be optimistic that case processing times will improve dramatically right away," he said. "But we will combine intensive training with on-site support to ensure we respond to the policy changes without disruption."