SEOUL, Nov. 6 (Yonhap) -- Kim Jong-chul, deputy commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA), was nominated Friday to serve as the agency's new commissioner general, filling a post that has remained vacant for nearly two years since former President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law.
Kim said he felt a heavy sense of responsibility over his nomination as KNPA commissioner general at a critical time, ahead of a meeting of the National Police Commission convened to deliberate on his appointment.
Kim Jong-chul, acting commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency, attends a signing ceremony for police cooperation between South Korea and East Timor, held at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Nov. 6, 2026. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
Kim Jong-chul, acting commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency, attends a signing ceremony for police cooperation between South Korea and East Timor, held at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Nov. 6, 2026. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
"I am well aware that public expectations for the police are higher than ever and that concerns about the police are also growing," Kim said, adding he would participate in the commission meeting with a sense of responsibility and the utmost sincerity.
The selection process for the KNPA commissioner general involves several steps: nomination by the presidential office, approval by the National Police Commission, a formal recommendation by the interior minister, a confirmation hearing at the National Assembly and, finally, appointment by the president.
The KNPA commissioner general nominee can be appointed by the president even without parliamentary consent following the confirmation hearing.
Born in Hamyang, South Gyeongsang Province, in 1970, Kim graduated from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, where he majored in English. In 1997, he entered the police force as a lieutenant and has since held various key positions, including chief of the Seoul Seocho Police Station and head of the Autonomous Police Division at the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency.
Kim later served at Cheong Wa Dae in 2021 during the previous Moon Jae-in administration before becoming chief of the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency in September last year. He was appointed as the deputy commissioner general of the KNPA in September this year and has since served as the agency's acting commissioner general.