Police to strengthen whistleblower protections following investigative authority reform

The Korean National Police Agency announced plans on Monday to bolster whistleblower protections and internal oversight as part of its reform following a recent legal revision that gives investigative authority solely to the police. The agency aims to encourage police officers to report wrongdoing without fear of repercussions. The revised measures were approved by the Korean National Police Commission.

To safeguard the identity of whistleblowers, the agency will permit reports to be submitted through legal representatives. Additionally, the agency is collaborating with other organizations to develop methods for covering the legal costs associated with whistleblowing. In a bid to incentivize more whistleblowing, the maximum payout will be increased to 100 million won (approximately US$70,497) from the current 27 million won.

This decision follows the National Assembly's approval of the revised Criminal Procedure Act last month, which eliminated prosecutors' ability to conduct direct investigations and granted investigative authority exclusively to the police. While the move is intended to foster greater confidence among officers to report wrongdoing, it has raised concerns that concentrating investigative power solely with the police might compromise the overall quality of investigations.