Police Begin 'Erasing Cho Jiho'; Is the Appointment of a New Commissioner General Imminent?

"Delete All Cho Jiho's Vision, Slogan, and Policy Objectives"


Some Measures Are Temporary... Seen as Preparation for Successor Appointment

The police have begun erasing all traces of former Commissioner General Cho Jiho, who was dismissed for participating in the 12·3 Martial Law. The issuance of an internal directive six months after his removal is being interpreted both within and outside the police force as a sign that the appointment of his successor as Commissioner General is imminent.

According to coverage by The Asia Business Daily on May 28, the National Police Agency recently instructed both its headquarters and city and provincial police agencies to comprehensively overhaul all vision statements, slogans, and policy objectives associated with the former Commissioner General. This includes removing all traces of him from related posts and signage, such as the directive “Police of the People Who Fulfill Their Responsibilities.”

Seodaemun-gu Police Agency, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

Specifically, orders were issued to remove, delete, or discontinue the use of the former Commissioner General Cho’s policies from various promotional and informational materials—such as banners, standees, and signboards—as well as from police station websites, standard document templates, and telephone greetings. Even if an item was not explicitly listed for overhaul, the directive stated that it should be preemptively revised if deemed related.

Within government organizations, it is generally considered standard procedure to erase the symbols and traces of a predecessor when a new leader takes over. However, some say it is unusual for such sweeping measures to be ordered, explicitly naming “former Commissioner General” and the phrase “Police of the People Who Fulfill Their Responsibilities.” The timing of the directive—six months after the dismissal—has led to speculation that it signals the imminent selection of a new Commissioner General.

An officer at the managerial level commented, “There was also a request to consider temporarily covering backdrops or banners with similar colors or materials,” and added, “It seems likely that this is in anticipation of the appointment of a new Commissioner General.”

Since former Commissioner General Cho, who became the first in constitutional history to be impeached and dismissed, the police organization has faced a leadership vacuum for nearly a year and a half. Cho was impeached in December 2024, only four months into his term, for participating in the 12·3 Martial Law. One year later, in December of last year, he was dismissed by the Constitutional Court, and this February, he was sentenced to 12 years in prison.

Within the police, there is growing self-criticism that the prolonged system of acting leadership has led to frequent lapses in discipline even at the front lines. The inability to carry out bold personnel changes or major organizational reforms due to structural limitations is seen as a factor behind ongoing incidents such as the cover-up of an investigation at Gangnam Police Station in Seoul, the misuse of an emergency vehicle by the chief of Seongdong Police Station in Seoul for commuting, inadequate response to a stalking-related murder case in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, and various cases of drunk driving and prostitution-related misconduct—all of which are pointed out as being related to the leadership vacuum.

Last month, the National Police Agency issued a misconduct alert to all police stations. This month, the National Investigation Headquarters formed a joint inspection team to conduct on-site audits of investigative departments nationwide.

Meanwhile, at the end of last year, the National Police Agency received the lowest, level 5, rating in the “2025 Comprehensive Integrity Evaluation of Public Institutions” announced by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission. This was a drop of one level from the previous year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.