Why ex-police officials keep taking charge of Korea Airports Corp.

Korea Airports Corp. (KAC) has a recurring practice of appointing ex-police officials to lead the organization, prioritizing security credentials over aviation and management experience in their hiring decisions, according to industry insiders. The latest example of this trend is the recent selection of Kim Won-joon, a former Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency chief, as KAC's 14th president.

This appointment has reignited discussions about why KAC consistently favors individuals with police backgrounds for its top executive positions.

Kim joins a long list of KAC presidents who have held police roles, with five such appointments since the airport operator underwent a restructuring in 2002. Notably, former military generals and intelligence officials have also taken on the KAC presidency. According to an aviation industry official, the pattern of selecting security-focused executives is largely due to the unique nature of airports.

"Airports are not merely sites for aviation operations," the official explained. "They are facilities intimately connected to national security, which is why police officials with expertise in security have frequently been chosen to lead the organization."