Abstract

The assurance of the police force's political neutrality and commitment to democracy has been a longstanding issue in Korean society. While the expedited pursuit of granting investigative powers to the police may not have been without its hasty aspects, it likely was an unavoidable choice to progress towards a more democratic policing. With the nationwide implementation of the autonomous police system in July 2021, led by the Autonomous Police Committees, autonomous police organizations were established. With aspirations to reflect the demands of local residents from closer proximity and unfold public safety policies that consider the unique characteristics of each region, the autonomous police system was launched. However, as the Korean autonomous police system marks its 3rd year in operation, the prevailing assessment leans towards negativity. Criticisms arose initially concerning the perceived bias in the composition of Autonomous Police Committees following the initiation of the autonomous police system. Subsequently, there have been observations regarding the functional shortcomings of these committees. Disappointments have been voiced on diverse fronts, including issues with budget allocation for autonomous police in each municipality, deficiencies in local regulations, and the absence of diversified public safety policies. Local police officers, as well, have voiced negative evaluations, citing operational confusion, discord between police administration and local administration, and the limitations of the centralized autonomous police system. The multitude of identified issues is closely tied to the inherent limitations of the Korean autonomous police system, which was established as a unitary form of autonomous policing centered around the national police. Even more concerning is the fact that, since the present government took office, there has been a trend towards strengthening central control over the police, evident in the establishment of new Police Bureau, without a clear commitment to the decentralization of policing. Consequently, the autonomous police system discovers itself adrift in a situation where there is no clear determination to promote decentralization. In this study, we focus to examine the shortcomings of the Korean autonomous police system that have surfaced during the past 3 years of its operation. We also intend to contemplate potential solutions to address these issues and have examined the efforts demanded from diverse stakeholders to ensure the successful establishment of the Korean autonomous police system.