Seoul:Kim Jong-chul, the deputy commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency (KNPA), has been nominated to become the agency's new commissioner general. This nomination comes as the position has been vacant for nearly two years following former President Yoon Suk Yeol's declaration of martial law.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim expressed a heavy sense of responsibility regarding his nomination at this critical time. He noted the high public expectations and growing concerns about the police, emphasizing his commitment to approaching the upcoming National Police Commission meeting with responsibility and sincerity.

The process of appointing the KNPA commissioner general includes several steps. Initially, the presidential office nominates a candidate, followed by approval from the National Police Commission. Afterward, the interior minister gives a formal recommendation, leading to a confirmation hearing at the National Assembly. The president ultimately appoints the nominee, with the possibility of bypassing parliamentary consent after the confirmation hearing.

Kim Jong-chul was born in Hamyang, South Gyeongsang Province, in 1970 and graduated from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies with a major in English. He joined the police force in 1997 as a lieutenant and has since occupied various significant roles, such as chief of the Seoul Seocho Police Station and head of the Autonomous Police Division at the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency.

In 2021, Kim served at Cheong Wa Dae during the Moon Jae-in administration before being appointed as chief of the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency in September last year. This September, he became the deputy commissioner general of the KNPA and has been acting as the agency's commissioner general since then.