At least 144 retired police officers moved to law firms over the past six years (2020-2026), according to a tally. Some warn that unless the system is revamped, the issue of "preferential treatment for former police" could erupt, similar to "preferential treatment for former judges and prosecutors."
According to People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD) on the 18th, of the 228 employment reviews submitted to the Public Service Ethics Committee by retired police officers seeking jobs at law firms from January 2020 through last month, 144 cases (63.2%) were approved.
At retirement, the most common rank was inspector (70 people, 48.6%), which generally corresponds to Director or Head of Team at frontline police stations. Next were lieutenant (25), senior inspector (20), and superintendent (20).
The time it took to land a job at a law firm after retirement was also short. Of the 144 approved cases, 68 (47.2%) changed jobs within three months of retirement, and 38 (26.4%) within one year.
People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD) said it is difficult to rule out the possibility that each law firm hired the retirees not only for their investigative experience but also in expectation of their influence over incumbent police.
Most law firms that recruited retired police officers were large firms with more than 100 affiliated attorneys. Law Firm YK had the most at 75, followed by ▲ Kim & Chang 15 ▲ Bae, Kim & Lee and Sejong 8 each ▲ YulChon 6 ▲ Lee & Ko 5 ▲ BKL, Barun, and DR&AJU with 3 each.
People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy (PSPD) said, "Large law firms with capital and networks are competitively recruiting former police," adding, "As police authority expands with the restructuring of the criminal justice system, more robust institutional safeguards must be put in place to ensure the fairness and independence of police investigations."