OSCE Partner for co-operation since 1994.

The Ministry of Public Administration and Security is responsible for law enforcement functions.

Policing tasks fall into the competency of the Korean National Police Agency.

1. Functions and missions
2. Structure and organization
3. Education / Training

1. Functions and missions
The duties of the Korean National Police Agency comprise a number of tasks.

• Crime prevention: the Korean National Police develops scientific inspection service techniques, expends the state-of-the-art equipments, consolidates crime statistics system and provides 24-hour security service by operating 112 dialing centres to report crimes promptly.
• Traffic control: the Korean National Police administers and controls the traffic flow by imposing regulations related to road safety.
• Maintenance of law and order.
• Fight against international crime: the Korean National Police has intensified international cooperation and exchanged the information with other nations to successfully crack down on borderless crimes.
• Services to citizens: the Korean National Police promotes various services for public welfare in accordance with provincial and seasonal peculiarities such as launching campaigns to protect neighbours in need, leading teenagers to the right way, supplying manpower for farming and restoration work for flood sufferers.

2. Structure and organization
The Korean National Police Agency consists of several subdivisions summarized by the organization chart in the Attachments section.

3. Education / Training
Education and training are provided to future police officers by the following institutions:

• The Police University:
  The Korea National Police University provides four years of regular educational course which is established according to the “Police University Law”.
  It has two routes:
  The regular course which grants a bachelor in law and in public administration.
  The police educational institution, which appoints newly-graduated students to police lieutenants.
• The Police Comprehensive Academy.
• The National Central Police Academy:
  Every newly recruited police cadet participates to a six-month training program in the academy.
  The program is composed of 3 weeks of close-order drill, 17 weeks of preliminary education including continuous physical training, 4 weeks of actual on-the-job training, and other extra curriculum provided for whole 6 months.
  In addition, the National Central Police Academy is also in charge of educating and training Auxiliary Police forces who are serving their military obligations as auxiliary policemen.
  Auxiliary police forces are trained for 2-3 weeks based upon the skills required for the front line duties.

1. General information
2. Prosecution

1. General information
The Ministry of Justice, which belongs to the executive branch, is responsible for judicial administrative matters, including the personal affairs of prosecutors, as well as correctional and rehabilitative administration.

Judicial power over criminal cases is exercised by the judicial branch consisting of three tiers of courts, which are the Supreme Court, the High Courts, and the District Courts.

Each Prosecutor's Office is in charge of investigation and prosecution corresponding to each tier of courts.

2. Prosecution
Prosecutors have the authority to investigate criminal cases, in addition, take final responsibility for pertinent investigations.
The judicial police conducts investigations under the supervision of prosecutors.
The judicial police consist of general judicial police, dealing with criminal cases in general and special judicial police, in charge of cases specifically related to railway facilities, forest, fire fighting, marine, labour, etc.

When a crime occurs, the judicial police usually initiate the investigation. The cases are then transferred to the Prosecutors' Office where prosecutors continue with the investigation by questioning the suspect, examining the documents and evidence, and conducting additional investigation as necessary. Upon completion of the investigative procedure, they make a decision on whether to file for prosecution.

In the case of complex offences and white-collar crimes, such as official corruption, economic offences, narcotics offences, environmental offences, organized crime, tax evasion, and police misconduct, the prosecutors initiate the investigation ex officio.