[Anchor]

With the completion of the amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act that abolishing the prosecution's investigative powers, attention is now turning to the police. As their authority is strengthened—contrary to that of the prosecution—various checks and balances are being poured out. The biggest hot button issue within the police force is the "rotational personnel system." Designed to prevent collusion in local areas, it mandates that officers relocate after a certain period of time. Until now, this applied only to police station chiefs or senior officials at the senior superintendent rank and above, but the government's plan is to significantly expand its scope down to frontline working-level staff.

Internal backlash from the police is growing increasingly fierce. Reporter An Huijae looks into the reasons why.

[Reporter]

[(This afternoon) Absolute opposition to rotational personnel! (Absolute opposition, absolute opposition!)]

A mass head-shaving ceremony held in front of the National Police Agency this afternoon.

The 10 individuals shaving their heads with resolute expressions are not civil petitioners, but active-duty police officers.

Under regulations, senior officials at the senior superintendent rank and above—equivalent to frontline police station chiefs—must relocate after three years.

The Superintendent rank, equivalent to police station division heads, is also subject to regional rotational personnel assignments, and officers have protested against plans to expand the scope to lower-level working-level staff.

While the government's stance is to overhaul the issue of "hyangchal"—officers working in a single region for prolonged periods—following controversies surrounding investigative irregularities involving Jang Yoon-ki and various suspicions related to the so-called Geoje King,

[Yunho-jung / Minister of the Interior and Safety (last month on July 16) : To root out the issue of police officers' collusion with their home regions, we will fully introduce the rotational personnel system....]

Frontline police officers argued that using a few cases of deviance to enforce this even on working-level staff without command authority is a "punitive measure akin to guilt by association."

[Min Gwan-gi / Chairperson of the National Police Workplace Council : We are not potential criminals! (No, we are not, we are not!)]

Within the police force, criticisms are emerging such as, "Weren't we recruited on a regional basis in the first place?" and "This completely shakes the foundations of our daily lives, such as our children's education, yet they are trying to pass the burden onto individuals without providing housing support measures like official residences."

[President Lee Jae-myung (on the 5th) : Is the opposition severe? They wouldn't like it, since they have to move.]

[Yoo Jae-sung / Acting Commissioner General of the Korean National Police Agency (on the 5th) : If we are to implement rotational personnel, support such as official residences or transportation expenses must be provided....]

Frontline police officers pointed out to SBS that "the government is only coming up with stopgap measures under pressure from public opinion."

The police leadership faces a test to see whether they can persuade members of the organization while also producing alternatives sufficient to restore public trust.

(Photo: Yang Ji-hoon | Video by Kim Yun-seong | VJ: Kim Hyung-jin | Design: Cho Su-in)