Attracting INTERPOL Asia-Pacific Office... Efforts Begin at Global Drugs Conference

The police have begun efforts to attract the INTERPOL Asia-Pacific Regional Office to Seoul.

Dongkwon Kim, Director of the International Crime Cooperation Bureau at the National Police Agency (second from the right), and Changhan Oh, Chief of the Narcotics and Organized Crime Division, among others, are attending the Interpol Global Drug Conference held in Prague, Czech Republic, from the 6th to the 8th (local time). National Police Agency

The National Police Agency announced on the 7th that discussions on international cooperation against narcotics crimes through INTERPOL were held at the INTERPOL Global Drugs Conference in Prague, Czech Republic, from October 6 to 8 (local time). The delegation led by Dongkwon Kim, Director of the International Security Cooperation Bureau, is scheduled to present a plan to host the (tentatively named) INTERPOL Asia-Pacific Regional Office in Seoul and call for the participation of member countries on the final day of the conference, October 8. The agency plans to first launch an INTERPOL Narcotics Task Force (TF) through consultations with INTERPOL from next year, and then, after approval by the Executive Committee and General Assembly, pursue the official opening of the office in 2029.

The task force is expected to fulfill functions equivalent to those of a regional office until it is officially established. INTERPOL personnel and police officers seconded from member countries in the region will be stationed there, conducting ▲ integrated analysis of narcotics case information ▲ planning and coordination of multinational joint operations ▲ assistance with the issuance of international notices and tracking of fugitives ▲ asset tracing of criminal proceeds ▲ and training programs for investigators from member countries.

Once the regional office is established, it will supplement existing INTERPOL hubs and provide ongoing support for joint operations, information analysis, and training within the region. Furthermore, the scope of response will be expanded beyond narcotics crimes to include transnational crimes such as digital sexual exploitation and scams.

From June 6 to 8 (local time), at the Interpol Global Drug Conference held in Prague, Czech Republic, Dongkwon Kim, Director of the International Crime Cooperation Bureau at the National Police Agency (second from the right), and Changhan Oh, Chief of the Narcotics Organized Crime Investigation Division, are taking a commemorative photo. National Police Agency

The National Police Agency plans to continue discussions by conveying a letter of intent to attract the Asia-Pacific Regional Office to the INTERPOL Secretariat during a high-level meeting at the INTERPOL General Assembly scheduled to be held in Hong Kong this December. Director Kim stated, "Narcotics crimes transcend borders, so it is essential not only to block smuggling into Korea but also to disrupt the sources of supply," adding, "We will make every effort to operate the Task Force and attract the regional office through close cooperation with INTERPOL and member countries in the region."

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