The Advanced Public Safety Science and Technology Institute under the Korean National Police University has been accredited as an internationally recognized testing laboratory in the narcotics field by the Korea Laboratory Accreditation Scheme (KOLAS).

The Korean National Police University announced on October 11 that the institute obtained accreditation for the "regulated substances (narcotics)" category within the forensic testing field on September 17.

This follows the accreditation in the handwriting and document appraisal field in December of last year, further expanding the scope of accredited testing. KOLAS accreditation is a national system that officially recognizes the testing and inspection capabilities of specific fields by evaluating the quality management systems and technical competence of testing and inspection institutions based on international standards.

The Advanced Public Safety Science and Technology Institute has secured specialized personnel and equipment for narcotic analysis, and has established a testing and analysis system that includes test method validation and proficiency testing management.

Moving forward, the institute plans to link research and development outcomes, such as artificial intelligence (AI)-based drug detection technologies, with testing, analysis, and quality management systems for use in forensic appraisals.

In addition, the institute plans to pursue the expansion of its KOLAS accreditation scope into the DNA field, gradually broadening its certified testing capabilities in core forensic areas and enhancing the expertise and reliability of its test results.

(Photo: Yonhap News)