Cases that put the brakes on retired police officers getting reemployed at law firms have surged recently. With police investigative powers expanding under the amended Criminal Procedure Act, it is seen as the result of more attempts to recruit "former police."
On the 19th, according to data submitted by People Power Party lawmaker Park Sang-ung of the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee from the Ministry of Personnel Management, there were a total of 229 cases from 2021 through July this year in which retirees from the Korean National Police Agency reported a law firm as a prospective employer and underwent employment screening. Among them, employment restrictions and disapprovals totaled 81 cases (35.4%).
By year, only 2 out of 50 employment screenings (4%) in 2021 resulted in restrictions or disapproval. But the restriction and disapproval rate jumped to 22.4% (11 cases) in 2022 → 42.6% (23 cases) in 2023 → 42.3% (11 cases) in 2024 → 77.1% (27 cases) in 2025. This year as well, up to July, 7 out of 15 screenings (46.7%) were halted.
Looking at the retired ranks in the restriction and disapproval cases, inspectors accounted for the most at 60.5% (49 cases). They were followed by lieutenants at 19.8% (16 cases) and senior superintendents at 11.1% (9 cases). There were also 4 superintendents, 2 chief superintendents, and 1 sergeant who received restriction or disapproval decisions.
Because the core criterion for restricting law firm employment by retired police officers is the relevance between their pre-retirement duties and the prospective employer, it appears many brakes were applied at mid-level ranks that handle practical work.
Under Article 17 of the Public Service Ethics Act, the Government Public Officials Ethics Committee reviews whether there is a close connection between the duties of the department or agency to which the screening subject belonged during the five years before retirement and the prospective employer, and if such relevance is recognized, it decides to restrict employment.
Even if close relevance is recognized, the committee reexamines whether any of the "special reasons for approving employment"—such as promoting the public interest or national competitiveness—set out in Article 34, Paragraph 3, Items 1 through 9 of the Enforcement Decree of the same law applies as an exception, and if not recognized, it determines employment disapproval.
Although the threshold for police moving to law firms has been raised, the competition to recruit remains fierce. The five major domestic law firms—Kim & Chang, Bae, Kim & Lee, Shin & Kim, Lee & Ko, and YulChon—hired 18 lawyers with police backgrounds this year alone, about double last year's level. The number is higher if advisers and experts are included.
Within the police, there are also cautions to refrain from contacting law firms out of concern over so-called "favors for former police." The Gangnam Police Station in Seoul has repeatedly urged staff not to meet privately with parties related to cases, including law firms, or to accept case inquiries.