Drug tests on police officers at the senior superintendent level and above all came back negative, except for some who did not consent to testing.
According to data that People Power Party lawmaker Seo Beom-su received from the Korean National Police Agency on Dec. 11, 893 of 911 police officers at the senior superintendent level and above underwent drug tests. No officers tested positive. However, the remaining 18 did not consent to the tests and therefore were not tested.
The drug tests were conducted without notice for effectiveness, and, to minimize human rights violations, were carried out with personal consent using a "simple saliva test."
The Korean National Police Agency plans to push for drug testing of up to 10% of all staff at each police station by revising the Police Officials Act.
Earlier, the Korean National Police Agency said it would establish an internal testing system after drug offenders were repeatedly detected within police units that conduct narcotics crackdowns. From 2022 through July this year, a total of 11 incumbent police officers were caught on suspicion of drug use.