The police force in South Korea is operated mainly through the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA), which functions as a single, unified law enforcement body covering the entire country[3]. The KNPA is headquartered in Seoul and oversees police operations through 18 regional police agencies, including those for metropolitan cities and provinces[5]. These agencies manage a network of local police stations, precincts, and police boxes.
As of recent data, the organizational structure of the KNPA includes one Deputy Commissioner General, eight bureaus, nine offices, and 32 divisions[5]. The agency operates 255 stations, 518 precincts, and 1,433 police boxes, all regionally distributed but centrally managed[5]. In other statistics, the number of stations is cited as 259, with 630 precincts and 1,415 police boxes, reflecting minor organizational adjustments over time[7].
Major regional police agencies include:
- Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency
- Busan Metropolitan Police Agency
- Daegu Metropolitan Police Agency
- Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency
- Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency
- Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency
- Ulsan Metropolitan Police Agency
- Gyeonggi Bukbu & Nambu Provincial Police Agencies
- Gangwon, Chungbuk, Chungnam, Sejong, Jeonbuk, Jeonnam, Gyeongbuk, Gyeongnam, and Jeju Provincial Police Agencies
Each of these agencies supervises numerous local police stations, such as Gangnam, Gangdong, Gangbuk, and Gangseo in Seoul[4], as well as those in other regions like Donghae, Samcheok, Sokcho, and many more[4]. The National Disaster and Safety Portal lists thousands of individual station names and their locations, such as Aewol Police Substation in Jeju and Aju Patrol Division in Geoje[2].
The Korean police system is highly centralized, contrasting with systems like that of the United States, where local entities have significant autonomy[3]. While the KNPA handles all general policing tasks—including public safety, investigations, traffic, and crime prevention—certain specialized law enforcement responsibilities, like customs and border control, are managed by separate government ministries[3].
The KNPA also oversees several affiliated institutions, including the Korean National Police University, Police Human Resources Development Institute, Central Police Academy, Korean Police Investigation Academy, and the National Police Hospital[5].
References
- [1] KNPA History – Period of the National Police Agency – 경찰청
- [2] Police Station – National Disaster and Safety Portal
- [3] South Korea’s Policing System and Law Enforcement.docx
- [4] Police Offices Info – 경찰청
- [5] National Police Agency (South Korea) – Wikipedia
- [6] National Police Agency of South Korea – Mapy.com
- [7] HOME > About KNPA > About KNPA > Organization – 경찰청
- [8] HOME > About KNPA > Location > Location – 경찰청
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