Korean National Police Agency to host international CSI conference on AI-era forensics

The Korean National Police Agency will host the "CSI Korea 2026 International Conference" Wednesday and Thursday at the COEX Magok Convention Center in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, under the theme "The Role of Forensic Investigators in the Age of AI."

The agency described the event as Asia's largest international academic conference on forensic science, saying it has been held annually since 2015 and this year marks its 12th edition. The conference brings together domestic and international forensic investigators to share knowledge and experience, and has contributed to strengthening South Korea's forensic capabilities and promoting hallyu in public safety, the agency said.

The conference is timed to coincide with Forensic Science Day, which commemorates Nov. 4, 1948 — the date the forensic identification division was established under the Public Security Bureau of the Interior Ministry following the founding of the South Korean government.

Acting Commissioner General Kim Jong-cheol said the conference would be a meaningful academic forum for forensic experts and field investigators to discuss the essential role forensic science plays in building public trust in criminal justice, at a time when AI has become not an option but a necessity in the field.

Kim Jang-han, a professor at Ulsan University College of Medicine specializing in forensic medicine, Choi Ha-young, a police lieutenant at the North Chungcheong Provincial Police Agency specializing in forensic investigation, and the alcohol research laboratory of the chemistry division at the National Forensic Service will receive awards at the conference in recognition of their contributions to the advancement of forensic science.

Awards will also be presented to winners of competitions the agency organized to improve forensic capabilities, including a forensic science ideas contest and a geographic profiling system case study contest. A certification ceremony will also be held for a forensic management system introduced to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's forensic operations.

Side events open to the general public will also be held. A promotional pavilion showcasing AI, robotics, drones and other technologies under forensic research and development will be on display alongside hands-on forensic experience booths. A forensic talk concert will feature Pyo Chang-won, director of the Pyo Chang-won Institute of Criminal Science, Kwon Il-yong, a forensic advisory committee member at the Korean National Police Agency, and Yun Oe-chul, former head of the investigation division at the South Gyeongsang Province Police Agency.

Attendance is available through on-site registration on the day of the event. The conference can also be streamed online at csikorea2026.com.