Seoul: The Korean National Police Agency: announced Monday its plans to bolster measures encouraging whistleblowing and protecting those who report legal violations. This initiative is part of the agency's efforts to reform its organization following a legal revision that grants investigative authority exclusively to the police.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the goal of these measures is to enhance internal oversight and instill greater confidence among officers to report misconduct. The Korean National Police Commission reviewed and approved these measures earlier in the day, and the agency intends to amend its enforcement rules regarding disciplinary actions for police officers accordingly.

To safeguard the identities of whistleblowers, the agency will permit reports to be filed through legal representatives. Additionally, it is collaborating with other agencies to develop solutions for covering whistleblowers' legal expenses.

In terms of financial incentives, the maximum reward for whistleblowing will be increased to 100 million won (US$70,497), up from the current 27 million won, to further encourage reporting of wrongdoing.

This initiative follows the National Assembly's recent passage of a revised Criminal Procedure Act, which removed prosecutors' authority to conduct direct investigations, thereby granting exclusive investigative authority to the police. However, this revision has raised concerns about potentially undermining the overall quality of investigations.