"Consideration of Reviving Mandatory Police Force after 2 Years... Relief for Personnel Shortages in the Field"

As part of its efforts to strengthen public safety, the government has announced plans to reintroduce the mandatory police force (police reserves), offering a potential solution to the problem of police personnel shortages. The National Police Agency is expected to resume recruitment of the police reserves, and preparations for this move are reportedly underway.

 

Additionally, the background to the abolition of the police reserves included issues of misconduct and corruption within the police reserve organization.

 

The last recruitment of police reserves took place in June 2021, and the recruits from that time effectively concluded their service when they completed their joint discharge in April of this year, essentially discontinuing the police reserves system. However, since the Police Reserves Act is still in effect, the establishment of the police reserves and recruitment of new members can proceed without the need for separate legal amendments.

 

National Police Agency Commissioner Yoon Hee-geun, after attending Prime Minister Han Duck-soo's speech, stated, "We plan to recruit and deploy around 3,500 personnel from the Rapid Response Team and approximately 4,000 personnel in major cities. We will also hold discussions with the Ministry of National Defense and other relevant authorities." The National Police Agency aims to recruit around 7,500 to 8,000 individuals to revive the mandatory police force by the first half of next year.

 

However, reviving the police reserves will require the reconstruction of their facilities and infrastructure, leading to significant budget allocations and time investments. Given that personnel shortages were a decisive factor in the decision to discontinue the police reserves, consultations with the Ministry of National Defense are expected to be a crucial variable in this process. The National Police Agency plans to determine recruitment quotas, selection methods, and eligibility criteria through inter-agency discussions.

 

The police reserves had been decreasing by 20% annually since 2018 and were completely abolished in April of this year due to long-standing personnel shortages over the past five years. Recent efforts to address this personnel shortage have generated positive responses from field police officers.

 

A police agency representative commented, "Currently, the existing police force can manage protest responses to some extent, but police reserves are needed for traffic control and patrol duties. The revival of the police reserves will greatly assist in solving the personnel shortage issue."

 

The abolition of the police reserves, originally discussed during the era of President Roh Moo-hyun as part of defense reforms, became a reality in 2013 during the presidency of Park Geun-hye, along with the discontinuation of combat police (riot police). Subsequently, President Moon Jae-in's administration designated the abolition of the police reserves as a national task and implemented a policy of reducing recruitment quotas by 20% annually starting in 2018.

 

Additionally, the background to the abolition of the police reserves included issues of misconduct and corruption within the police reserve organization. Prior to reviving the police reserves, improvements to the organizational culture are seen as necessary. The National Human Rights Commission recommended reforms to the police reserves in 2007 and 2008 but recommended their abolition in 2011, citing the persistence of "undesirable practices."