Police chief nominee Kim Jong-cheol begins confirmation hearing preparations, vows to restore public trust

Kim Jong-cheol, the deputy commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency who is also serving as acting commissioner, has begun preparing for his confirmation hearing after being nominated as the first police chief under the Lee Jae Myung administration, one year and five months into its term.

Speaking to reporters at the agency's headquarters in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, on Monday, Kim said he was well aware of the expectations and concerns held by both the public and colleagues within the organization. "I feel the weight of an enormous responsibility," he said. "Through the confirmation hearing, I will lay out in specific and thorough detail my vision and resolve as the nominee for commissioner general."

Kim said he would also focus on securing the personnel and budget needed to implement the revised Code of Criminal Procedure, which took effect Oct. 2. "There is no small amount of work for the police to do in order to settle the new criminal justice system," he said. "I plan to concentrate on securing the manpower and budget so that officers on the ground can work with conviction and confidence under the changed system, and focus solely on their duties."

He added that he would bring together the experience and wisdom of fellow officers to rebuild public trust in the police step by step. "Above all, protecting the safety and lives of the people will be my top priority," he said.

Kim also mentioned a visit he paid Tuesday to a police lieutenant attached to the expressway patrol unit of the Gyeonggi Province Southern Police Agency, who suffered a severe injury — including the amputation of an ankle — while managing a traffic accident scene. He noted that on-duty deaths and injuries among police officers occur at more than twice the rate of other civil servants.

"I was told that after the officer regained consciousness, the first thing said to the family was 'I'm sorry,'" Kim said. "Hearing that someone who deserved comfort and care more than anyone else — having been hurt in an unexpected accident on the job — was instead apologizing left me heartbroken and heavy-hearted."

"I will do my utmost to improve the relevant systems and secure the necessary budget so that officers in the field can trust that the state will stand by them to the end in recognition of their dedication and sacrifice," he said. "I believe it is the duty of the command to ensure that officers who leave for work come home the same way they left."

The confirmation hearing preparation team is led by Lee Young-cheol, director of the agency's autonomous policing planning and police reform divisions, with the rank of senior superintendent general. The 13-member team is organized into three units: a policy development team, a personal background response team and a National Assembly response team. Park Jeong-hun, head of the agency's police reform planning team, leads the policy development unit. Park Seong-gap of the Seoul Songpa Police Station and Choi In-gyu of the agency's innovation planning and coordination office — both holding the rank of superintendent — head the personal background and National Assembly response teams, respectively.

The preparation team said the superintendent-level team leaders were drawn from officers recruited through the patrol officer exam, the junior officer candidate program and the National Police University, so that views from across the organization would be reflected in a balanced way.

The team added that it would diligently prepare to have the nominee's competence and qualifications verified through the confirmation hearing. "We plan to develop specific policy visions and tasks to translate the nominee's pledge to the public for a safer society — and the call for police reform — into public safety policy, and to restore public trust," it said.