User:Xhananexx/Law enforcement in South Korea

The Korean National Police Agency

Korean National Police Agency is comprised of 1 deputy commissioner general, 8 bureaus, 9 offices and 32 divisions.

• Community Safety, Investigation Bureau, Traffica and Foreign Affairs Bureaus are responsible for basic policing. Public Security, Intelligence and National Security Bureaus govern public order. Spokesperson’s Office, Planning and Coordination Office, Police Administration and Human Resources Office, Audit and Inspection Office, ICT and Equipment Policy Office, Scientific Investigation Office, Police Situation Control Center provide administrative support.

• Affiliated institutions include the Korean National Police University, Police Training Institute, Central Police Academy, Korean Police Investigation Academy and the National Police Hospital.

• Furthermore, the Korean National Police is regionally divided over the 18 metropolitan cities and provinces, placing 255 stations, 518 precincts and 1,433 police boxes under metropolitan and provincial police agencies

Type of government that South Korea has

The Republic of Korea is a democratic republic, with three types of governments:

1. The executive: the president is the head of National Assembly. The president is elected by the citizens and can stay president for five years. After five years, the same president cannot be elected again for a second time. The president has with his/her position the power to declare a state of emergency or war, as long as the National Assembly approves it. The National Assembly are the head of state and together with the Commander-In-Chief they can approve or disapprove the choices that the president is making.
2. The legislative: is created by the National Assembly and has in total three hundred members. 244 members are elected from the various elections and 56 through representations. These members can stay in their position for four years. Their functions is to pass on laws of the country, to audit the national budget and procedures of administration, to approve the state's appointments.
3. The judiciary: the members of judiciary branch is created by supreme courts, and other tribunals (lawyers & judges). The judges can stay in their position up to six years. However, all the judges must pass a two-year legal training in the "Judicial and Training Institute".

Korean legislative system

The Korean legislative system is about the Constitution as the paramount law.

• Constitution
• Emergency Executive orders - Emergency Financial and Economic Executive Orders
• International Treaties & International Laws
• Orders - Administrative Legislation
• Ordinances and Rules of Local Governments

Changes of laws

In 2019, the number of women taking an abortion increased comparing to several years before. South Korea began legalizing abortion in April 2020, with justice judging that the government should have revised existing laws by December 31, 2020. Under existing legislation, abortion is still illegal and formally punishable. Exceptions are only allowed when the parents are sick with a disease, which can cause a threat during the pregnancy. However, also when a female got raped and got pregnant, the women has the legal right to take an abortion. Last, when the fetus threatens the mother's life, is also one of the three exceptions.

General safety description

The following list is a description of safety for citizens, tourists, and others who are related to being in South Korea.

• Emergency numbers: 112 for the police and 119 for the ambulance and fire department.
• For tourist they can call 1330 for the Korea Travel Hotline. This number is operated by the Korea Tourism Organization, where they can contact employers 24/7. Furthermore, this number is also available to request the help of translators to make you understandable, for example about taxi drivers or shop assistants.
• Pay attention to your personal belongings, like phone, wallet, money and credit cards.
• Travel and identity documents, like ID-card and passport should be kept in a safe place. Preferably bring a photocopy of travel documents.
• Public demonstrations in South Korea, mostly in Seoul, are happen often. Usually the demonstrations go out without any problems, but the atmosphere can change quickly and incident can happen. It has therefore best to avoid all demonstrations and large gatherings.

Safety around the Demilitarized zone (DMZ)

Since the end of the Korean War in 1953, Korea has been divided between North Korea and South Korea, seperated by a demilitarized zone, which the short name for is (DMZ).

• Take extra care and follow the advice of the local authorities.
• The DMZ is only accessible in an organized context.
• Visitors are accompanied militarily and it is strictly forbidden to leave the group.

See also

• Government of South Korea
• List of government agencies of South Korea
• Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA)
• Law of South Korea

External links

• Korea National Police Agency Official website (in English)
• Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Official website (in Korean)
• Korea, South: Korean National Police—photius.com
• South Korea—A Comparative Criminology Tour of the World
• "SOUTH KOREA: Police brutality against protesting farmers must end"—Asian Human Rights Commission
• "Workers' Anger on the Rise in South Korea"—PICIS Newsletter, no. 74, 4 July 2000
• Korean Police Operation 101 -Part 1: Contacting the Korean Police—naver.com blog (in Korean and English)