The emblem of the Korean National Police Agency is displayed. / Song Eui-ju

A newly created National Safety Secretary’s Office within the presidential office is expected to be staffed by eight officials, mostly from the police, raising concerns that the structure could become a direct channel for presidential influence over law enforcement.

According to government sources, the office will consist of one senior secretary, one superintendent-level officer, one inspector-level officer, three additional police personnel, one official from the Coast Guard and one political appointee.

Former Chungbuk provincial police chief Lee Jong-won, currently holding the rank of commissioner, has reportedly been nominated to head the office. A superintendent-level officer will serve as senior administrative officer, while the inspector-level position has already been filled by a former staff member of the government situation room.

The National Safety Secretary’s Office will operate under the presidential office’s senior civil affairs structure and is expected to oversee crime prevention and public safety policies.

Its creation comes about seven months after the government abolished the Interior Ministry’s police bureau, which had been introduced under the previous administration to oversee police affairs.

The presidential office said the new position would function as a control tower coordinating public safety policies and crime prevention measures. However, some observers within the police community interpret the move as an attempt to establish a direct line between the presidency and the police.

Critics point out that similar arrangements in past administrations led to concerns about political influence over police leadership.

During the Park Geun-hye administration, the presidential security secretary position was widely seen as a fast track to top police leadership posts, with several former holders later becoming commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency or Seoul police chief.

Analysts warn that the new structure could revive that pattern.

Kim Jong-min, a lawyer at MK Partners who previously served on the Moon Jae-in administration’s prosecution reform committee, said the role could effectively become a stepping stone for senior police promotions.

“In the past, the security secretary essentially oversaw police personnel matters, allowing the president to directly influence the police through appointment powers,” Kim said. “The National Safety Secretary position could once again serve as a ladder to top police leadership posts.”

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