South Korea
Law enforcement in South Korea
A single national force, the Korean National Police Agency, under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety — with a community-policing layer added in 2021.
Facts on this page were checked against their sources on .
Policing is a single national function. The Korean National Police Agency (경찰청, Gyeongchalcheong) is one national force under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety; there is no separate state or provincial police. Under the constitutional warrant clause, a judge issues warrants for arrest, detention, seizure or search "upon the request of a prosecutor" (Article 12).
The same idea, explained generally
- Why do societies need law enforcement?
Law enforcement exists so that rules apply to everyone rather than to whoever can be compelled. This guide explains the function, the conditions that make it legitimate, and what it cannot do.
- What is the difference between police and law enforcement?
“Police” is one kind of institution. “Law enforcement” is a function that many bodies perform. This guide explains the distinction and why it matters when comparing countries.
Sources
Sources
Constitution of the Republic of Korea (1948, wholly revised 1987) — English translation
Comparative Constitutions Project (Constitute) · Legislation · 1987 · link verified 2026-07-27
The Comparative Constitutions Project (Constitute) English translation of the Constitution of the Republic of Korea (originally 1948, wholly revised in the ninth amendment of 1987, in force from 25 February 1988), read directly and re-confirmed. An UNOFFICIAL translation; the Korean text is authoritative. Supports Art. 3 (the territory is the Korean peninsula and its adjacent islands — a single indivisible unitary state); Art. 12 (warrants issued by a judge "upon the request of a prosecutor"); Art. 101 (judicial power vested in courts); Art. 103 ("Judges shall rule independently according to their conscience and in conformity with the Constitution and law"); Art. 106 (tenure — removal only by impeachment or criminal punishment); Art. 107 (a court doubting a statute's constitutionality refers the question to the Constitutional Court — concentrated review); Arts. 111–113 (the Constitutional Court's jurisdiction, nine adjudicators, and the six-vote requirement); and Arts. 117–118 (local self-government limited to local administrative/welfare matters, not justice).