On August 31, 2026, the Korean National Police Agency announced plans to systematically support law school enrollment for active-duty officers, responding to a severe shortage of legal professionals ahead of the scheduled abolition of the prosecution service. According to an announcement made by Lee Young-chul, head of the Autonomous Police Planning Division at the National Police Agency, during a policy debate held at the National Assembly Members’ Office Building in Seoul, the agency is exploring the introduction of a dedicated “training leave” special provision under the Police Public Officials Act or long-term consignment education systems to help officers pursue legal education.
Addressing Institutional Flight and the Legal Expert Shortage
The policy push comes as growing numbers of police officers utilize their personal leave and time off to attend law school or choose to resign entirely following admission. According to data highlighted during the debate—co-hosted by the National Police Agency and Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Lee Sang-sik—at least 81 police academy graduates entered law schools last year, a figure approaching the academy’s annual intake cap of 100 students. Furthermore, between 2021 and July 2026, 165 police academy graduates resigned before completing their mandatory six-year service period, repaying tuition and other costs to leave, with a substantial portion departing to secure law school admission or acquire attorney licenses.
Despite these departures, verified figures show that internal legal expertise remains scarce across the 140,000-strong police force. As of last year, only 286 police officers—accounting for roughly 0.2 percent of the total force—had voluntarily registered attorney licenses in their personnel records. Geographic concentration remains pronounced, with the National Police Agency and the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency accounting for 158 of those registered individuals, or 55 percent of the national total.
Expanded Recruitment and Separated Promotion Tracks
Alongside supporting internal candidates, the police are expanding external recruitment of legal professionals while adjusting promotion structures to prevent the early departure of lateral hires. Data cited from the agency shows that the planned recruitment scale for specialized career investigators—including lawyers and accountants—increased from 144 positions last year to 204 positions in 2026. This expansion includes 10 additional lawyer positions, 11 more roles in cyber and security investigation, and 30 newly allocated disaster accident specialists.
To retain these lateral hires, the agency will implement a separated promotion review system starting in 2027, evaluating attorney-qualified officers independently from general police officers. Officials noted that while lawyers enter the force as senior inspectors, their relatively brief police tenure makes competing against general officers for inspector-general promotions difficult, a friction point that historically triggered early resignations. Additionally, starting in the second half of 2026, the agency will extend annual transfer criteria for attorney-qualified personnel, allowing them sufficient field experience while securing long-term deployment in specialized legal divisions.
Curriculum Overhauls for New Investigation Systems
Complementing recruitment and retention strategies, the National Police Agency is overhauling training programs for general investigators to handle trial-stage demands under shifting criminal justice frameworks. Training periods for incoming investigators will expand from two weeks to six weeks. The updated curriculum strengthens trial-linked subjects, including trial procedures and criminal evidence law, moving beyond sporadic coursework to mandatory core modules covering trial processes alongside specialized tracks for bureau chiefs, team leaders, and line investigators.
Lee Young-chul emphasized that under a reorganized criminal justice framework separating investigation from indictment, police investigations represent the frontline of the judicial system for the public. “The police must provide answers that the public can accept and prove whether they can conduct investigations objectively and completely without external pressure or bias,” Lee stated at the forum.
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