New police leadership vows sweeping reforms to regain public trust

The nation's new acting police chief, Kim Jong-chul, has vowed sweeping internal reforms to restore public confidence following the mishandling of high-profile missing-person and murder cases. Kim delivered a statement at a meeting with senior police officials in Seoul, following his inauguration ceremony. The statement emphasized the need for "deep self-reflection and sweeping reforms" to rebuild the police force from the ground up, asserting that the police have "no reason to exist if they lose the trust of the people."

Kim stressed that the police must go beyond mere rhetoric and demonstrate their commitment through concrete changes and actions. The call for reform arose in the wake of public outrage over a series of recent controversies. For instance, a Jeju police officer was accused of closing a missing-woman case prematurely without verifying her safety, an action that may have contributed to her death.

Additionally, police in Gwangju, located 270 kilometers south of Seoul, are under investigation for allegedly leaking investigative materials to a murder suspect.