South Korean Police Tighten Rules on Investigative Information Inquiries

The South Korean National Police Agency (NPA) is strengthening its 'ban on case inquiries' system, effective October. This initiative seeks to bolster investigative impartiality by limiting inquiries about ongoing cases. Previously, internal guidelines discouraged officers from using personal connections to solicit information from colleagues, but these lacked enforcement power, leading to continued leaks. High-profile cases, including the Jang Yoon-gi incident where evidence was tampered with based on leaked information, and a recent case involving an NPA executive accused of divulging investigation details to a junior, highlighted the vulnerabilities of the previous system.

The revised policy will formally integrate the ban into the 'NPA Code of Conduct for Public Officials,' establishing grounds for disciplinary action against officers making non-essential inquiries. Investigators receiving such requests are now obligated to report them to their department's auditor, with failure to do so also subject to disciplinary measures. The scope of the ban is expanded to include external parties, specifically lawyers not formally appointed to a case and paralegals. This measure addresses concerns about potential leaks of investigative information through former police officials who have become lawyers, a trend that has sparked controversy in recent instances.