The police will initiate amendments to the law to directly request temporary measures for the protection of stalking victims from the court and to expand the investigation of economic and financial crimes, thereby taking away some investigative powers from the prosecution.
On the 5th, the police unveiled a "comprehensive roadmap for strengthening investigative capabilities" that includes these details.
The Korean National Police Agency stated that it aims to secure accountability and fairness in investigations, but there are views that interpret this as a move aligned with the "prosecutorial reform" of the Lee Jae-myung government.
◇Temporary measures and financial investigations that had to go through the prosecution, will now be handled directly by the police.
In light of the recent rise in stalking and domestic violence cases, the police announced plans to push for legal amendments that would allow them to request temporary measures directly from the court without going through the prosecution.
According to current law, when the police apply for temporary measures, they must first consult the prosecution, and the court's request follows the prosecution's judgment. Thus, if the prosecution rejects the application, the request cannot be made at all. The police aim to amend the Stalking Punishment Act and the Domestic Violence Punishment Act to include judicial police officers as applicants, enabling requests to courts without the prosecution.
The police also plan to expand their investigations into economic and financial crimes. Until now, in cases of violations of the Fair Trade Act, the Fair Trade Commission, which holds exclusive reporting rights, would first investigate and then file a complaint with the prosecution, leading to an investigation by the prosecution. The police announced they will push for amendments to the Fair Trade Act, allowing the Commission to make complaints to judicial police officers instead of the prosecution, enabling them to take over investigations of Fair Trade Act cases.
The police further plan to secure financial information that the Financial Information Unit (FIU) has been providing differently to the prosecution and police through amendments to the Specific Financial Information Act. The police argue that the restriction on their access to FIU information, which has primarily been provided to the prosecution, has made it difficult to secure crucial investigative leads or information in financial cases.
◇ AI will also draft warrant applications.
The police revealed that they will introduce an investigative support system (KICS-AI) utilizing generative artificial intelligence (AI) technology to ensure fairness and efficiency in investigations. This system will provide investigators with investigative issues and relevant precedents, automatically generating drafts for various investigation documents, including warrant applications, aiming to elevate the quality of investigations.
Additionally, they will develop a system for tracking and analyzing virtual assets and the dark web to strengthen their capabilities in responding to new crimes.
Meanwhile, the police will amend the Korean National Police Agency's directive to require approval from department heads, such as police station chiefs, for initial inquiries into criminal intelligence collected independently by the police. Previously, cases were sometimes prematurely concluded at the discretion of lower-level police staff, but this aims to prevent that and enhance fairness at the initial investigation stage.
The police will also promote the introduction of remote video investigations for individuals involved in cases excluding suspects, the expansion of recording infrastructure for videos and statements, and a nationwide expansion of evaluations for judicial police officers organized by the Bar Association.
◇Reducing investigation periods through the expansion of investigative personnel and organization.
The special investigation units currently situated only in Seoul and southern Gyeonggi Province will be expanded to other regions. For significant cases such as voice phishing, the police will enhance dedicated investigation systems in provincial police departments, and depending on the case, upper-level officers will also be involved in actual investigative tasks.
The police reported that they have continuously reduced the average case processing period from 67.7 days in 2022 to 63 days in 2023, 56.2 days in 2024, and 55.2 days as of June this year. Although there were initial reluctance in investigation departments due to the reformation of investigative rights between the police and prosecution, the average investigative experience of investigators has increased to 8.5 years, compared to 7.4 years in 2022.
Lee Sang-joo, chief of the National Investigation Agency, stated, "With this roadmap, we will reorganize the entire investigative process to become a trusted investigative agency for the public."