Korean National Police Agency pushes to bring Interpol Asia-Pacific regional office to Seoul

The Korean National Police Agency is pursuing police diplomacy to bring an Interpol Asia-Pacific regional office to Seoul, sending a delegation to the Interpol Global Conference on Drugs and Illicit Substances in Prague, Czech Republic, running Tuesday through Thursday.

The delegation, led by International Police Cooperation Bureau Director Kim Dong-kwon, announced plans to work with Interpol to launch an Interpol Drug Response TF in 2027, staffed by police officers seconded from member countries in the region. The agency also plans to open the Asia-Pacific regional office in Seoul to coincide with the 2029 Interpol General Assembly there, subject to assembly approval.

The TF will serve in a capacity equivalent to that of the regional office until the office opens. Interpol staff and seconded officers from member countries will be permanently stationed there, carrying out integrated analysis of drug case intelligence, planning and coordinating multinational joint operations, issuing wanted notices and tracking fugitives, tracing criminal proceeds, and training investigators from member countries.

The regional office would function as a permanent body complementing existing Interpol hubs, providing ongoing support for intelligence analysis, joint operations and training across the region. It is set to launch with a focus on drug crimes before expanding its scope to transnational offenses including digital sex crimes and scam operations.

Following the conference, the agency plans to continue talks on securing the Asia-Pacific office at the Interpol General Assembly in Hong Kong in December, holding high-level meetings with the General Secretariat.

"Because drug crime knows no borders, it is crucial not only to block narcotics from entering the country but also to strike at the source of supply — and for that, member countries need a permanent hub for sharing intelligence and conducting joint operations," Kim said. "We will work closely with Interpol and member countries to do everything we can to get the TF up and running and bring the regional office to Seoul."