Korean police are launching a special crackdown on entrenched local corruption to root out public official misconduct at the regional level.
The National Office of Investigation under the Korean National Police Agency announced on March 4 that it will conduct an eight-month "Special Crackdown on Entrenched Corruption" through October 31. While police have continuously enforced anti-corruption measures against public officials, this initiative specifically targets structurally recurring corruption in local government administration, officials said.
The crackdown focuses on four major categories of entrenched corruption: irregular and improper contracts, financial misconduct, abuse of authority, and misuse of insider information.
Irregular and improper contracts refer to cases where public officials secure profits through private contracts with local governments using businesses they or their family members operate, employing methods such as fraudulent equity sales or nominee operations.
Financial misconduct includes embezzlement and fraud involving public funds, preferential treatment in subsidy programs, and collusion between responsible officials and business operators.
Abuse of authority covers exerting undue pressure through official powers over budget deliberation, permits and licenses, hiring, and enforcement activities, as well as accepting bribes in exchange for arranging favorable decisions. Using insider information obtained through official duties, such as regional development plans, for personal or third-party gain is also a key enforcement target.
Police will operate a special enforcement system headed by the Director of Investigation at the National Police Agency. They plan to utilize intelligence networks across 261 police stations nationwide to conduct investigations tailored to regional characteristics. A total of 1,355 dedicated investigators will be deployed, with enforcement centered on major metropolitan and provincial police agencies including 273 officers in Seoul.
Asset recovery will proceed in parallel. Police said they will actively recover proceeds obtained through entrenched corruption, led by crime proceeds tracking investigation teams. They also plan to expand cooperation with anti-corruption agencies including the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials and the prosecution at each stage of investigation.
In a previous anti-corruption crackdown conducted from July to October last year over four months, police apprehended 3,840 individuals and referred 1,253 to prosecutors.
"Entrenched corruption is a serious crime that undermines fairness in local communities and erodes public trust in government service," said Park Sung-joo, Commissioner of the National Office of Investigation. "We will investigate according to law and principle regardless of position or status, while adhering to our duty of political neutrality and pursuing fair and rigorous enforcement."