Police officers who commit the crime of distorting the law, accept money or entertainment in connection with investigative duties, or leak investigative information will in principle be dismissed or removed from office.
The Korean National Police Agency said on the 21st that it approved a partial revision to the detailed enforcement rules of the disciplinary decree for police officers at the 596th meeting of the National Police Commission.
The revision creates disciplinary standards for the crime of distorting the law under Article 123-2 of the Criminal Act, toughens standards for accepting money or entertainment tied to investigative duties, and strengthens penalties for divulging or leaking key information on investigations and crackdowns.
Acts falling under the crime of distorting the law will in principle draw the harshest level of discipline, which removes the officer from the service.
The offense, which took effect on March 12 this year, subjects judges, prosecutors, police officers and others to up to 10 years in prison and up to 10 years' suspension of qualifications if they distort the law with the intent of giving improper benefits to another person or harming another person's rights.
The same removal-from-service standard applies in principle to officers who accept money or entertainment in connection with investigation or enforcement duties. The police concluded that such conduct during an investigation is a serious breach that damages the fairness of investigations and directly erodes public trust in the force.
The agency said it will hold officers strictly accountable for divulging or leaking important investigative and enforcement information — such as whether a warrant has been issued, the existence of key evidence, and internal information on wanted suspects and crackdowns — because doing so can hinder the normal conduct of investigations and crackdowns and undermine both the rights of those involved in a case and the fairness of the process.
"We will continue to respond firmly to misconduct that damages the fairness and accountability of investigations, and build police investigations that the public can trust with confidence," an official at the agency said.
