Acting police chief pledges reform at 81st Police Day ceremony in Seoul

The National Police Agency held its 81st Police Day ceremony on the morning of Oct. 21 at Chamsuri Hall, in Seodaemun district, Seoul. About 500 people attended, including President Lee Jae-myung, Interior and Safety Minister Yun Ho-jung, acting commissioner Kim Jong-cheol, and bereaved families of officers who died in service. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 8 ]

In his address, Kim said the police exist to protect people's lives and safety. He said he took seriously the public anxiety over a series of violent crimes, and promised firm action on crimes against the vulnerable. He said the 78-year overhaul of the criminal justice system had made the police's role and responsibility heavier than ever, and promised to serve the public with a lower posture, putting the weight of responsibility before authority. He also pledged fair, rights-respecting investigations, strong internal self-purification and external control systems, and reform pursued without wavering. The Korea Economic Daily quoted him as saying the police stand at an important test once more. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 8 ]

According to Yonhap, President Lee thanked officers and their families for their dedication. He said the police must guard against the risk that the deviation of a few and inadequate responses could erode the trust and reputation of the whole organisation, and asked them to become a trustworthy police force through swift action and clear results. The Korea Economic Daily wrote that he asked the police to restore trust shaken by recent incidents. [ 2 , 4 ]

The ceremony honoured the late officers Sim Yeon-su and Kim Seon-hyeon as 2026 police heroes. Yonhap and other outlets said Sim died in 1963 after pushing a citizen off a railway track at Mukho station in Gangwon, and that Kim died in 2018 after being stabbed while subduing a suspect in Yeongyang, North Gyeongsang. A video recreating them with AI technology was shown. Kim Seon-hyeon's daughter, Kim Seong-eun (김성은), a serving officer, said she understood her father's heart after becoming a police officer. Kyunghyang Shinmun published a photo of Lee presenting her with a hero certification plaque. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 8 , 10 ]

A total of 474 people received government awards. Kim Seong-jun, head of the Seoul police's public security intelligence department, received the Hongjo Order of Service Merit. Kim Jong-cheol and 14 field officers read the police charter together. The agency chose a theme for the day and a basic slogan, 'Closer to the people, firmer on trust', selected through a public contest held last month on the 23rd to 30th, which the police will keep using. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 ]

The agency also set up an exhibition in the main building on reform, AI-based policing and investigation results. Items included the investigation data analysis solution CORE-MINING, a geographic profiling system, an investigation-support AI for drafting search warrants, and the C-IRIS voice-phishing response system. Pre-registered members of the public can visit from the afternoon of Oct. 21 until the morning of Oct. 23. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 ]

Regional police offices held their own ceremonies the same day, including Jeonbuk with about 300 attendees, Daejeon with about 200 and Gyeongnam with about 250. The Dong-A Ilbo also reported that Jin Ui-hyeon, an Uijeongbu police detective due to receive a commendation, died of acute myocardial infarction at the end of last month. [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 9 , 11 ]