0
National Police Agency. / Reporter Park Seong-il

The police will build a system enabling citizens to check the processing status of cases they personally reported at any time, while expanding the provision of information on rights and support for crime victims. Along with enhancing transparency in policing activities, the initiative also seeks to transform the organization into a citizen-centered public safety service provider by changing its English name from the existing "Korea National Police Agency" to "Korea National Police Service."

The National Police Agency announced on the 19th that it is pursuing a policy pivot away from post-incident responses focused on reports and case processing toward preemptively delivering policing services needed by the public.

During a weekly business meeting that day, Acting Commissioner General of the Korean National Police Agency Kim Jong-cheol ordered officials to actively discover and implement measures to enhance democratic accountability and public trust in the police. Acting Commissioner General Kim emphasized, "We will redouble our efforts to restore public trust by realizing citizen-centered police services that inform first and assist by their side."

First, the police plan to establish a dedicated system allowing citizens to view and verify the progress of cases they reported at any time. The scope of notifications provided to complainants during the case handling process will also be expanded to allow them to track developments more easily.

Methods of providing information to crime victims will also be improved. Previously, victims' rights were primarily explained during victim interviews, but the system will be overhauled going forward to repeatedly guide victims on rights they can exercise, protection and support systems, and referral pathways to relevant institutions.

Disclosure of key public safety information will also be expanded. Major public safety indicators, such as the number of 112 emergency calls and traffic accident occurrences, will be posted at police stations and on official websites so that citizens can readily check local policing conditions by region. Information closely tied to daily life, such as traffic inconveniences stemming from rallies and events, will also be provided.

Through this, the National Police Agency plans to enable the public to gauge objective public safety conditions, while continuously broadening the scope of police activities and information subject to public disclosure in the future.

Along with this, the National Police Agency is pushing to change its institutional English name to mark "Police Week" this week. The plan involves switching from the currently used "Korea National Police Agency" to "Korea National Police Service." The Korean name "Gyeongchalcheong" (경찰청) will remain unchanged.

The National Police Agency explained that the change in English name embodies its intent to move away from the image of an institution exercising state authority and be reborn as a service agency prioritizing citizen safety and rights.

Domestically, the National Tax Service and the National Intelligence Service use "Service" in their official English titles. Internationally, the UK's London Metropolitan Police and Canada's Toronto Police likewise use the names "Metropolitan Police Service" and "Toronto Police Service," respectively.

Through this policy pivot, the National Police Agency intends to improve public access to public safety information while reinforcing transparency and accountability in policing activities.

                                                                                                            Seol So-young