Government must fill key public safety posts

The dismissal of Korea Forest Service Chief Kim In-ho over drunk driving has left the top positions at five key public safety agencies simultaneously vacant: the prosecution service, the National Police Agency, the National Fire Agency, the Korea Forest Service and the Korea Coast Guard.

The prosecution has been under acting leadership since former Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung resigned in July last year. After a brief interim period led by former acting chief Noh Man-seok, acting Prosecutor General Koo Ja-hyun now heads the office. The National Police Agency has also been without a commissioner for more than 14 months, with the deputy commissioner serving in an acting role after former Commissioner Cho Ji-ho was impeached for his alleged involvement in the Dec. 3 illegal martial law declaration. Former Fire Commissioner Heo Seok-gon was removed in September while under investigation for similar allegations, and former Coast Guard Commissioner Kim Yong-jin resigned following a fatal incident involving a Coast Guard officer.

Vacancies at the top of agencies responsible for law enforcement and disaster response are not a matter to be taken lightly. Under acting leadership, organizations tend to focus on maintaining stability, while personnel decisions and budget execution are carried out cautiously. These conditions inevitably disrupt morale and make it difficult to prioritize proactive disaster preparedness or crime prevention. The National Fire Agency and the Korea Forest Service are already struggling to respond to fires breaking out across the country amid dry winter conditions. The Coast Guard, which handles diplomatically sensitive operations such as cracking down on illegal Chinese fishing, is also operating without permanent leadership.

More troubling is the possibility that these leadership gaps could persist. At the National Police Agency, the top post is vacant, and several metropolitan and provincial police chiefs have recently been suspended after a government task force on constitutional compliance recommended severe disciplinary action. When the prosecution service is formally reorganized in October, the launch of the Serious Crimes Investigation Office and the Public Prosecution Office will require a major restructuring of both prosecutorial and police bodies. Heads of the new investigative agencies are expected to face confirmation hearings, meaning it could take considerable time before stable leadership is fully in place. Observers also expect that new chiefs for the Fire Agency, Forest Service and Coast Guard may not be appointed until after local elections.

If the crisis response capacity of agencies responsible for disaster management and public safety weakens, the consequences could directly affect citizens’ lives. With organizations already strained by prolonged leadership gaps, concerns are growing over the risk of a major accident. While addressing the historical regression represented by the Dec. 3 illegal martial law declaration is important, swiftly restoring administrative stability and safeguarding daily life is equally a core responsibility of the government. Appointments to key public safety posts closely tied to citizens’ well-being should be made without delay.