Company Directory - Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency
Company Details - Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency
Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency
WebsiteSeoul, South Korea
The police agency of Seoul responsible for law enforcement in the capital of South Korea.
CCI Score
CCI Score: Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency
-39.98
0.02%
Latest Event
Controversial Appointment of New Seoul Police Chief
Park Hyun-soo assumed office as the new chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency amid allegations of involvement in the previous martial law declaration and controversial communications with key governmental figures. Critics have raised concerns over his close ties with the Yoon administration and the politicization of his appointment.
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TOADIE
Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency is currently rated as a Toadie.
Latest Events
- FEB102025
Park Hyun-soo assumed office as the new chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency amid allegations of involvement in the previous martial law declaration and controversial communications with key governmental figures. Critics have raised concerns over his close ties with the Yoon administration and the politicization of his appointment.
-60
Executive Political Engagement
April 1
The appointment of Park Hyun-soo, with documented communications during the martial law declaration and prior service in politically sensitive roles, signals a concerning level of executive political engagement. His actions appear to align with an authoritarian agenda, reflecting a politicization of law enforcement that undermines democratic accountability.
- FEB102025
Acting Commissioner Park’s fast‐tracked promotion amid a state of emergency has raised concerns of political bias and interference. Allegations indicate that his appointment was designed to influence investigations into martial law events and manage early presidential elections, pointing to a politicization of law enforcement under the current administration.
-60
Executive Political Engagement
April 1
The appointment of Acting Commissioner Park, following a super-fast promotion and his perceived alignment with President Yoon, suggests that political considerations are influencing police leadership. This undermines the integrity of law enforcement and supports authoritarian practices by potentially using state power to manage politically sensitive investigations and electoral outcomes.
Opposition questions Seoul Police Chief's promotion amid martial law investigation - CHOSUNBIZ
- DEC132024
Senior officials from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, along with other police leaders and the Administrative Safety Minister, publicly rejected the emergency martial law declared by President Yoon, asserting it violates constitutional provisions.
+80
Executive Political Engagement
April 1
Acting police leadership from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency took a principled stand by publicly opposing the emergency martial law declaration. This direct challenge to an authoritarian measure underscores a robust commitment to democratic principles and constitutional safeguards.
Minister and police reject martial law as unconstitutional in Korea
- DEC112024
On December 11, 2024, the Special Investigation Unit filed arrest warrants for top police officials, including Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Chief Kim Bong-sik, for allegedly directing subordinates to block lawmakers from entering the National Assembly as part of President Yoon’s effort to impose martial law.
-70
Executive Political Engagement
April 1
The actions of SMPA’s leadership, including meeting with President Yoon and allegedly instructing police to obstruct legislative oversight, reflect a troubling engagement in executive political intervention. Such behavior undermines democratic processes and aligns with authoritarian tactics, meriting a negative score under Executive Political Engagement.
- DEC112024
The Seoul Central District Court issued arrest warrants for police chiefs, including the chief of Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, for their alleged role in planning and executing martial law orders that interfered with the democratic process by ordering a police intrusion into the National Assembly.
-80
Public and Political Behavior
April 1
This event shows that the leadership of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency was implicated in enforcing an authoritarian measure by supporting the imposition of martial law to block democratic legislative action. The police chief's involvement, as described by court warrants, reflects a misuse of power and alignment with authoritarian practices, which is evaluated negatively from an anti-fascist perspective.
Court issues arrest warrants for chiefs of nat'l police, Seoul police ...
- DEC282023
On December 28, 2023, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced plans to retrofit approximately 85,000 CCTVs with AI technology to automatically detect criminal activity. The system is designed to transmit real‐time footage to safety situation rooms at the city government, police (including the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency), and fire stations, thereby deepening state surveillance capabilities.
-60
Provision of Repressive Technologies
April 1
The deployment of AI-based CCTVs enhances state surveillance and the capacity for real-time tracking, which raises concerns about potential abuses in civil liberties and reinforces authoritarian practices. The involvement of the police agency in receiving and acting on this enhanced surveillance data signals an alignment with repressive technologies.
Seoul to install AI-based CCTVs to combat random violent crime
- NOV022023
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has announced a four-year blueprint for integrating AI and advanced surveillance technologies into its law enforcement operations. The plan includes predictive algorithms for crime forecasting, real‑time mapping of drug trafficking routes, and the deployment of augmented equipment for officers. This ambitious move, while aimed at modernizing crime prevention, raises concerns about enhanced state surveillance and potential overreach.
-50
Provision of Repressive Technologies
April 1
The detailed plan to deploy AI for predictive policing, behavior analysis, and real-time surveillance technologies poses risks of extending state control and enabling authoritarian practices. By investing in technologies that can be used for widespread monitoring and suppression, the agency potentially opens avenues for overreach and violations of civil liberties, warranting a negative assessment on the provision of repressive technologies.
South Korean Police's Comprehensive AI Plan for Law Enforcement
- OCT182023
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency is linked to a government initiative allocating KRW 51.2 billion for installing intelligent CCTV systems across public spaces to deter abnormal motive crimes. While intended to enhance public safety, the expansion of automated surveillance technology raises concerns about potential misuse in curbing civil liberties.
-30
Provision of Repressive Technologies
April 1
The move to deploy intelligent CCTV technology, although framed as a public safety measure, enables enhanced surveillance capabilities that could be repurposed for repressive state monitoring. Given its potential to erode privacy and contribute to authoritarian practices, this action is scored negatively from an anti-authoritarian perspective.
Seoul Supports 51.2 Billion for More Intelligent CCTVs to Prevent Abnormal Motive Crimes
- MAR142023
On March 14, 2023, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency conducted raids on 14 locations, including the headquarters of unions affiliated with the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), as part of an investigation into alleged illegal practices by labor organizations.
-40
Public and Political Behavior
April 1
The police operation, targeting union offices linked to a historically significant labor organization, reflects aggressive state intervention that undermines civil liberties and suppresses dissent. This use of police power raises concerns about potential political motivations against workers' rights and legitimate labor organizing.
Police raid KCTU-affiliated construction union - Korea JoongAng Daily
-30
Labor Relations and Human Rights Practices
April 1
The raid on union facilities is viewed as an authoritarian measure that suppresses labor rights and undermines workers' ability to organize. This aggressive tactic can be interpreted as part of a broader political effort to curb union influence, thereby negatively impacting worker rights and democratic labor practices.
Police raid KCTU-affiliated construction union - Korea JoongAng Daily
- JAN192023
On January 19, 2023, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency conducted a series of raids targeting the offices of construction unions affiliated with major umbrella labor organizations, amid suspicions of union officials collaborating with North Korean agents. The action has raised concerns over state repression against the labor movement and the use of the National Security Act to suppress union activities.
-80
Public and Political Behavior
April 1
The police agency’s decision to carry out politically charged raids against union offices reflects an authoritarian approach to dissent. The use of state power in this manner undermines democratic norms and targets political expression within labor organizations, aligning with historically repressive tactics.
-70
Labor Relations and Human Rights Practices
April 1
Targeting labor unions through extensive raids is indicative of a broader pattern of suppressing workers' rights and union representation. This action, under the guise of national security, negatively impacts labor relations and undermines the protections and fair practices that are essential in a democratic society.
- DEC082022
Investigators from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency raided offices and conducted home searches of officials from major construction unions as part of a crackdown on alleged irregularities at construction sites, raising concerns over heavy-handed tactics that could undermine union autonomy and worker rights.
-60
Public and Political Behavior
April 1
The agency’s aggressive raids on union offices and residence searches signal a use of state power that can intimidate labor organizations, reflecting tactics associated with authoritarian approaches to suppressing dissent and worker activism.
Police Raid Construction Union Offices over Worksite Allegations
-50
Labor Relations and Human Rights Practices
April 1
The raid, involving searches at multiple union offices and private residences, poses serious concerns regarding the protection of labor rights and union autonomy, potentially chilling legitimate worker organizing and exposing an overreach by state enforcement.
Police Raid Construction Union Offices over Worksite Allegations
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