Leadership vacuum weakens key public agencies

While the Lee Jae-myung administration has already nominated a second candidate for prime minister, several of the nation's most important law enforcement agencies continue to operate without permanent leaders. The National Police Agency and the Supreme Prosecutors' Office remain under acting leadership. The Korea Coast Guard has been without a commissioner for six months since former chief Kim Yong-jin resigned following a line-of-duty death involving a coast guard officer last December. The National Fire Agency has also reverted to an acting-chief system after former Commissioner Kim Seung-ryong was dismissed only three weeks after coming under scrutiny from the presidential office.

Of the five agencies responsible for public safety, law enforcement and disaster response, including the police, fire service, coast guard, prosecution service and Korea Forest Service, only the Korea Forest Service currently has a commissioner in office. Earlier this year, after former Korea Forest Service chief Kim In-ho resigned in disgrace over a drunk-driving incident, all five agencies were simultaneously left without permanent heads, an unprecedented situation.

The most serious leadership gap is in the police force. Former National Police Agency Commissioner Cho Ji-ho was impeached in December 2024 over allegations that he took part in the Dec. 3 martial law declaration. Since then, the agency has remained under acting leadership for a year and a half.

The effects are already visible. Since the redistribution of investigative authority between police and prosecutors, the police have played a central role in criminal investigations. Without a permanent commissioner, maintaining discipline across a force of roughly 140,000 officers has become increasingly difficult. On May 21, a police lieutenant in Daejeon was removed from duty after being caught driving under the influence. On June 11, an undocumented foreign national escaped custody in Changwon after slipping one hand free from handcuffs during transport. Acting Commissioner Yu Jae-seong has repeatedly called for stricter discipline following allegations of improper interference in investigations at Gangnam Police Station, but the problems have persisted.

The problem extends to major investigations. Allegations surrounding independent lawmaker Kim Byung-ki have shown little progress since December. Police have also failed twice to secure arrest warrants for HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk. It is fair to ask whether a police force operating without a permanent leader can avoid such delays.

The situation may soon become even more complicated. Park Sung-joo, commissioner of the National Office of Investigation, the police agency's investigative command center, is set to retire at the end of this month. That would place another key institution under acting leadership.

The prosecution service faces a similar challenge. The prosecutor general's post has remained vacant for more than 300 days since former Prosecutor General Shim Woo-jung, who was appointed during the Yoon Suk Yeol administration, stepped down in July last year. Some within the prosecution service speculate that the position could remain vacant until the planned abolition of the prosecution service in September.

Politics aside, vacancies at the top of both the police and prosecution services could complicate the planned launch of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency in October. Even with permanent leaders in place, reallocating personnel and redefining responsibilities among investigative bodies as the new agency and the Public Prosecution Agency are established would be a difficult task.

The National Fire Agency and the Korea Coast Guard also need permanent leadership as summer approaches and demand for emergency and disaster response grows. Individuals must be held accountable for their mistakes. Ensuring that institutions recover quickly and maintain operational readiness is a separate responsibility.

In a speech marking the first anniversary of his inauguration on June 8, President Lee Jae-myung outlined four key policy priorities. Addressing the fourth, he pledged to build a government that protects lives and places public safety at the center of policymaking. He promised to strengthen systems that prioritize citizens' safety and well-being across all areas of government, including finance, welfare, labor, health care, policing and disaster response.

That pledge will be difficult to fulfill while so many of the agencies responsible for protecting lives and public safety continue to operate without permanent leadership. The government should move quickly to fill these vacancies and restore stability to institutions that play a critical role in safeguarding the public.