Seoul: The Police Bureau established under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety has been officially abolished following the enactment of a revised ordinance. The bureau, set up three years ago amid ongoing debates about the political neutrality of police forces, saw its signboard removed from the Seoul Government Complex on Tuesday. This action marks the end of its operations and the return of 16 officials, originally dispatched from both the police and the ministry, to their respective positions.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the bureau was created in 2022 during the administration of former President Yoon Suk Yeol. Its establishment was justified as a measure to regulate police authority after they assumed greater investigative responsibilities from the prosecution. The recent abolition aligns with one of the main election pledges of current President Lee Jae Myung, aimed at addressing concerns about the influence of politics on police operations.