Police mark 81st Police Day with pledge to reform, earn public trust

South Korea's police force marked Police Day on Wednesday with pledges to reform and renew, honoring officers who distinguished themselves in service and paying tribute to those who died in the line of duty.

The Korean National Police Agency held the 81st Police Day ceremony at its headquarters in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, with about 500 attendees, including police officials, families of fallen officers honored as police heroes, and cadets from the National Police University and the Central Police Academy. Police Day, observed every Oct. 21, is a statutory commemoration established to recognize officers' dedication and strengthen their sense of mission.

This year's ceremony was held under the slogan "A police force that leaps forward anew — we will protect the safety of the people more firmly," reflecting a commitment to raising the completeness and professionalism of investigations in line with a new criminal justice system under which police assume sole responsibility for investigations.

Acting Commissioner General Kim Jong-cheol said in his address that South Korean police had "always been the first to rush to citizens in danger, fulfilled their responsibilities to the end at scenes of crime and disorder, and devoted every ounce of strength to preserving the peace of the community." He added that, bolstered by the public's support, "South Korea has grown into a public safety powerhouse that stands comparison with any country in the world."

Kim said the sweeping overhaul of the criminal justice system — the most significant in 78 years — had made the police's role and responsibilities weightier than ever. He pledged to "protect the rights and interests of the people through fair investigations that respect human rights" and to establish robust internal discipline and external oversight mechanisms.

"Protecting the lives and safety of the people is the reason the police exist," he said. "We will become a police force that the people can always trust and rely on, through fair investigations that respect human rights."

Among those honored, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Senior Superintendent Kim Seong-jun and 29 others received the Hongjo Order of Merit for Government Service, while Senior Superintendent Kim Cheol-su and 31 others received the Government Service Commendation Medal. The Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency, Senior Superintendent Hwang Seon-ha and 200 other institutions and individuals received presidential citations, and Inspector Gang Hyeon-uk of the Korean National Police Agency and 210 others received prime ministerial citations.

President Lee Jae Myung, who attended the ceremony, expressed "deep gratitude to the officers who have worked tirelessly day and night for the safety of the people's daily lives, and to their families who have shared the weight of that dedication." He said the noble sacrifice of officers who gave their lives to protect the public would "never be forgotten."

Lee called on the force to remain vigilant against the damage that "the misconduct of a few and inadequate responses can inflict on the trust and reputation of the entire organization." He urged officers to "coldly reflect on what has been lacking and actively pursue reform to boldly correct wrong practices and systems."

The president also renewed his emphasis on tackling relationship-based crimes. "Responding only after a crime has occurred is not enough to adequately protect the people," he said. "Particularly for relationship-based crimes such as stalking, and indiscriminate crimes targeting unspecified members of the public, there must be a fundamental shift from reactive response to proactive prevention."

Lee had made similar remarks at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, saying the criminal justice reform — which fully separates investigation from indictment for the first time in more than 70 years — had made the police's role and responsibilities heavier than at any previous time. He urged every member of the police force to "keep in mind that all public authority stems from the trust of the people."

The ceremony also honored the service records of the late Corporal Shim Yeon-su and the late Inspector Kim Seon-hyeon as this year's police heroes.

While patrolling the grounds of Mukho Station in Donghae, Gangwon Province, in 1963, Shim spotted a civilian walking on a track as a train approached. After his warnings went unheeded and the civilian failed to get clear in time, Shim jumped onto the track and shoved the person to safety — but was struck by the train and killed. Shim had joined the police force in 1948 and also served as an officer during the Korean War. In 2019, the Korean National Police Agency erected a memorial at Mukho Station in his honor and designated the surrounding area as a police heritage trail.

Kim responded to a 112 emergency call reporting a disturbance in Yeongyang-gun, North Gyeongsang Province, on July 8, 2018. While subduing a suspect who had charged at a fellow officer with a bladed weapon, Kim was stabbed by the suspect. He was rushed to hospital but did not survive.

His daughter, Officer Kim Seong-eun, fulfilled a dream she had nurtured since childhood watching her father and is now serving as a police officer herself. She attended the ceremony with her younger brother and accepted the police hero plaque on her father's behalf. "Now that I am a police officer, I think I understand my father's heart — how, the moment someone was in danger, he gave no thought to his own safety," she said.

Acting Commissioner General Kim said he wished to convey "sincere words of comfort to the bereaved families who have endured the absence" of officers who gave their lives for the people, and expressed "gratitude and respect to fellow officers who are fulfilling their duties at this very moment."