Korean National Police Agency

What Korean National Police Agency does

The Korean National Police Agency (경찰청) is the national law enforcement authority of the Republic of Korea, headquartered in Seoul and operating under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. Established in 1945, the agency employs approximately 130,972 sworn officers as of December 2024, distributed across 18 regional/metropolitan police agencies, 261 police stations, 630 community substations (지구대), and 1,417 resident posts (파출소), achieving a 1:391 officer-to-citizen ratio. It delivers public safety services to the entire population of South Korea and registered foreign nationals through the 24/7 112 emergency hotline, Minwon24 civil service portal, Safe182 violence reporting center, National Counter Scam Bureau, Cyber Safety Guardian portal, and dedicated units for missing persons, trafficking, and digital crime.

The agency operates a substantial technology platform anchored by the KICS criminal case management system, a Digital Forensics Center, a nationwide 112 emergency dispatch network, and the integrated Electrical Telecommunication Financial Fraud Integrated Response Unit. AI capabilities are deployed across 17 core police operations, including the KICS-AI generative investigation support system (with a three-year roadmap through 2027), computer vision systems for child abuse video analysis and sexual exploitation content detection, and the Everyone's Police Officer 24/7 citizen service chatbot. The agency is the first in the world to achieve ISO 21043-2 certification for crime scene investigation and holds web accessibility and personal information protection certifications.

The agency's revenue model is government budget allocation from national tax revenue, administered through the Ministry of the Interior and Safety; it does not earn commercial revenue and provides services free of charge to citizens, with only nominal administrative fees for information disclosure (A3 documents at 300 won/page, B4 at 250 won/page). It maintains wholly owned operating institutions including Police University, the Central Police School, the Police Human Resources Development Institute, the Police Investigation Training Institute, and the National Police Hospital. Strategic partnerships extend to INTERPOL I-24/7, the Asia Nepal Counter Drug Regional Arrangement (ANCRA), the Gender Equality Ministry, Korea Expressway Corporation, and six government ministries for joint cyber gambling response.

Name

Korean National Police Agency

Legal name

경찰청 (Korean National Police Agency)

Website

https://police.go.kr

Company type

Public

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

The Korean National Police Agency is the national law enforcement authority of South Korea, employing 130,972 officers across 261 police stations and 2,051 substations to deliver 24/7 public safety, emergency response, criminal investigation, and AI-enabled policing services to the country's entire population.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Law Enforcement Services

NAICS

Police Protection (92212)

SIC

Services-Detective, Guard & Armored Car Services (7381)

akta.pro primary industry

Police Services (Patrol, Response & Community Policing) (BPAIAGAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Sector Guarding (Government Buildings, Courthouses) (BPAKAAAG)

Keywords

• Law enforcement services
• Public safety
• Crime investigation
• Emergency response
• Criminal justice

Headquarters

HQ city

Seoul

HQ country

South Korea

HQ region

Asia

Offices22 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Budget Allocation: Government-funded public safety services financed through national tax revenue, with operational costs covered by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety budget allocations

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels10 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Korean National Police Agency is the national law enforcement body of the Republic of Korea, providing nationwide public safety, crime prevention, criminal investigation, emergency response (112), traffic safety, cyber crime response, victim protection, and digital forensics services. It operates through 261 police stations, 630 community substations, and 1,417 resident posts staffed by 130,972 officers, supported by AI-powered investigation, KICS case management, and digital forensics technologies.

Product overview

The Korean National Police Agency operates a comprehensive digital public safety platform consisting of core emergency response systems (112 emergency dispatch, crime reporting), civil service portals (Minwon24, Safe182), and AI-powered investigation support tools. The main infrastructure includes KICS criminal case management system and specialized units like the Digital Forensics Center and National Counter Scam Bureau. AI capabilities are integrated across investigation support (KICS-AI), 24/7 citizen services (Everyone's Police Officer), and digital crime detection (child abuse video analysis, sexual exploitation content detection). The ecosystem connects with international law enforcement (INTERPOL), government data portals, and various citizen-facing reporting systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 112 Emergency Response System Police emergency call handling and dispatch system providing 24/7 nationwide emergency response coordination for crime reporting, disaster response, citizen safety communications, and police deployment.
• Minwon24 (Police Civil Service 24 / 경찰민원24) Online portal for police administrative services including crime reporting, lost property claims, traffic complaints, investigation status checks, civil applications, and criminal record issuance for citizens.
• Safe182 (안전드림) National center for reporting missing persons, domestic violence, school violence, sexual violence, and child abuse, with 24/7 counseling and a sexual crime victim chatbot service.
• KICS (Criminal Case Information System) Integrated criminal case management and investigation support system used nationwide by Korean police for case tracking, evidence management, investigation workflow coordination, and crime statistics analysis.
• Cyber Safety Guardian (사이버안전지킴이) Cybercrime reporting, consultation, and tip submission portal for internet crime, fraud, hacking, online scam history lookup, and digital safety issues.
• Police Investigation Support AI (KICS-AI / 경찰 수사지원AI) AI-powered investigation assistance system that provides similar case recommendations, generates investigation document drafts, creates decision documents, and suggests interrogation questions for police investigators.
• National Counter Scam Bureau (전기통신금융사기 통합신고대응센터) Centralized coordination center for telecom and financial fraud response, operating 365 days 24 hours for scam report processing and fund recovery coordination combining telecommunications, banking, and police capabilities.
• AI Sexual Exploitation Content Detection Program (성착취물 탐지 프로그램) Artificial intelligence program deployed by the National Investigation Headquarters Cyber Terror Response Division for detecting sexual exploitation content, enabling swift prosecution of digital sex crimes and victim protection.
• AI Child Abuse Video Analysis System (AI 아동대 영상분석) AI-based image and video analysis system for child abuse detection, deployed for rapid identification and investigation of digital sexual exploitation crimes.
• Digital Forensics Center (디지털포렌식센터) Specialized forensic laboratory providing digital evidence acquisition, analysis, forensic data recovery, and preservation for criminal investigations.
• Safety Report (안전신문고) Public safety reporting platform for citizens to report safety hazards, workplace accidents, and public safety concerns to authorities.
• Police Cyber Education Portal (경찰사이버교육) Online education platform for police officers providing training courses, professional development, and mandatory cyber crime prevention education programs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Traffic accidents decreased 1.3% and injuries decreased 2.4% in 2025
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability8 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered moderate, core and minor.

• Korea Criminal Investigation Expert CommitteemoderateStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025Partnership with Korean Bar Association for lawyer career recruitment in investigation units to enhance professional expertise and fairness
• Korea Expressway Corporation / Korea Road & Transportation AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2025Cooperation agreement for rapid traffic safety information provision during chemical accidents, traffic information display on urban traffic centers, and accident information sharing for secondary damage prevention
• Six Government Ministries (Education, Gender Equality, Gaming Commission, Financial Services Commission, Financial Supervisory Service)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025Multi-agency MOU for comprehensive response to youth cyber gambling including prevention education, treatment programs, and financial fraud victim recovery support for self-reporting teenagers
• InterpolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025International cooperation network for cross-border crime including drug trafficking, online scams, human trafficking; I-24/7 secure communication system shared as national asset for international law enforcement coordination
• Asia Nepal Counter Drug Regional Arrangement (ANCRA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Regional cooperation framework for combating drug crimes across Asia, including intelligence sharing and joint enforcement operations
• International Criminal Police Organization (ICPO)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Global police cooperation through INTERPOL channels for fugitive apprehension, criminal databases, and international crime coordination
• 18 Provincial/Metropolitan Autonomous Police Committees (시·도자치경찰위원회)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Local governance structure for autonomous policing in each province and major city, enabling community participation in police policy and operations
• 261 Police Stations and 2,051 Community Substations NetworkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2025Comprehensive nationwide service delivery network covering all regions of South Korea with local police presence
• Gender Equality and Family MinistrycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Joint response system for relationship crimes connecting 261 police stations nationwide with 189 counseling centers, domestic violence hotlines (1366), providing coordinated victim protection
• Korea Defense TelevisionminorOthers · 1 January 2025Police broadcasting network for public information and news dissemination
• Seoul Metropolitan Government / Seoul Autonomous Police CommitteecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Pilot autonomous policing initiative enabling local community participation in neighborhood safety decisions and police operations oversight

Scale indicators22 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• INTERPOL: The international criminal police organization connecting 196 member countries. Directly comparable as KNPA's international coordination partner through the I-24/7 secure communication system, with shared data, fugitive recovery programs, and cross-border enforcement frameworks.

Regional players

• Royal Thai Police: Thailand's national police force, a regional peer in Southeast Asia with overlapping INTERPOL cooperation channels and comparable challenges around tourism policing, cyber fraud, and trafficking. Less technology-mature than KNPA but relevant for regional benchmarking and partnership opportunities.

Broad incumbents

• Securitas AB: The world's largest private security services company, with ~358,000 employees across 44 markets. While not a government peer, it provides a useful commercial benchmark for guarding, patrol, and integrated security services at scale — relevant for understanding where private-sector alternatives compete or complement public policing.
• Metropolitan Police Service (UK): One of the world's largest metropolitan police forces, providing a comparable large-city policing benchmark. Overlaps on digital forensics, organized crime response, and counter-terrorism capabilities, with active international cooperation with Korean counterparts.
• Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP): Canada's national police force, comparable in federal structure, INTERPOL integration, and digital evidence/forensics modernization. Relevant for benchmarking on community policing, indigenous and multicultural service delivery, and cross-jurisdictional cooperation.
• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI): The U.S. federal investigative agency, broader in scope but overlapping on cybercrime, digital forensics, and international law enforcement cooperation. Relevant for benchmarking on AI-driven investigation support, INTERPOL liaison, and forensic certification standards.

Direct peers

• People's Public Security (Ministry of Public Security, China): China's national public security and police authority, the closest functional equivalent in scale and scope among East Asian neighbors. Operates comparable functions including criminal investigation, border control, and large-scale digital surveillance infrastructure, making it directly relevant for technology and AI policing benchmarking.
• Singapore Police Force: Singapore's national police force, widely regarded as a technology-forward small-state police agency. Highly comparable for digital transformation, AI policing tools, and integrated citizen-service platforms — often cited as a benchmark for smart-policing initiatives in Asia.
• Japan National Police Agency: Japan's national police agency under the National Public Safety Commission, operating with comparable structure (Prefectural Police), headcount scale (~290,000 officers), and emphasis on community-based koban policing. Highly comparable as a fellow East Asian national police force with similar technological modernization programs and INTERPOL integration.
• Hong Kong Police Force: Hong Kong's territorial police force, comparable in operating model (regional police agency structure with district commands), bilingual citizen services, and emphasis on community policing. Relevant peer for cross-border crime cooperation, INTERPOL coordination, and Chinese-language service delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/polinlove
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC7-PyZbi_QIthI3WFtopzLw
• Facebookfacebook.com/polinlove1
• Instagraminstagram.com/police_kor_official/?hl=ko

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Korean National Police Agency