Police suicides spotlight excessive workloads, stressful evaluations

A recent spate of suicides and stress-induced deaths among police has spotlighted concerns that the physical and psychological burdens of heavier police workloads, organizational changes and performance-oriented evaluations may be too much to bear.

Condolence flowers at Gwanak Police Station in southern Seoul on July 23 honor an inspector surnamed Song, who took his life on July 18 after complaining of an excessive workload. [YONHAP]

A recent spate of suicides, suicide attempts and stress-induced deaths among police officers has spotlighted concerns that the physical and psychological burdens of heavier police workloads, organizational changes and performance-oriented evaluations may be too much to bear.

On Sunday morning, a funeral service for a senior inspector surnamed Kim, 43, from the administration department at the Dongjak Police Station was held at the station. Kim collapsed in the office on the morning of July 19 from a brain hemorrhage. Kim was rushed to the hospital but ultimately died on Friday.

Nearly 200 colleagues from the station, consisting of 600 employees, attended his funeral to pay tribute.

Colleagues attributed Kim's death to “stress from overwork” and “pressure for a promotion.”

On July 18, a 31-year-old inspector from the investigation division at Gwanak Police Station took his own life.

According to an investigation by the Korean National Police Workers Council, the inspector — identified by his surname of Song — had complained of an excessive workload since his recent transfer to the investigation division following a promotion this year and was stressed over longstanding unresolved cases.

Song reportedly told those around him that he "cannot breathe,” "dreads Mondays” and "recently lost 10 kilograms.” During a call with the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of JoongAng Daily, his father said Song was assigned to 73 cases at the time, according to a conversation he had with his colleagues on July 1.

“He was to be transferred on July 22, but he was likely under a lot of pressure ahead of his scheduled site inspections for the cases he was assigned to previously,” Song's father said.

"There wasn't a day I felt at ease since I joined the investigation team,” wrote Song in his suicide note, found on his phone. He also apologized to his colleagues and family members.

On July 22, a 28-year-old inspector from the security department at Yesan Police Station in South Chungcheong also took his own life, reportedly due to heavy workload pressures.

At 5 a.m. Friday, a senior inspector in his 40s from the investigation team at Seoul Hyewha Police Station jumped into the Han River from Dongjak Bridge but was rescued. He is now receiving hospital treatment for non-life-threatening injuries.

“He had complained of overwork after being assigned a high-profile case regarding a civic group and another case regarding the expansion of a student quota for medical school,” his colleagues said.

They said he also showed symptoms of hair loss.

These recent cases have sparked strong reactions within the police force, with many officers expressing solidarity and voicing concerns on Blind, an anonymous workplace community app. They have called for preventive measures and criticized the overwhelming workload.

The surge in workload stems from legislative changes made in 2021. The revised Criminal Procedure Act and Prosecutors’ Office Act, part of former President Moon Jae-in’s prosecutorial reform efforts, expanded police investigative powers, placing them on par with the prosecution.

However, this change increased the number of cases assigned to each inspector.

A guideline revision in November last year also removed the police’s authority to reject or transfer cases, resulting in a flood of cases. The launch of mobile patrol units and mobile detective squads in February to address last year's fatal stabbing incidents further added to the caseload, as the investigation work force decreased significantly.

A police officer at Chuncheon Police Station on Friday wrote on an internal online bulletin board that the number of cases registered with integrated investigation teams surged by 137 percent to 3,575 in the first half of this year compared to 2,607 in the same period last year, while the number of team members decreased from 32 to 30 in the same period.

Another officer voiced frustration over the overwhelming workload on the bulletin board Thursday, saying the number of cases "has increased exponentially and become unmanageable.”

“Investigators who receive more than one or two cases daily have no choice but to investigate quickly, even if they want to do an in-depth investigation,” the writer added.

Frontline officers have also expressed increased pressure from performance evaluations related to cold cases.

"Word has been going around that since this year, police officers are required to report weekly on the resolution rates of their long-term unsolved cases, and team leaders who fall into the bottom 10 percent are to be penalized,” said a police officer working in the investigation division of a police station in Gangnam District, southern Seoul.

The National Police Agency has acknowledged the severity of the situation and is investigating the current state of affairs.

Commissioner General Yoon Hee-keun announced on Friday plans to launch a team under the deputy chief of the National Police Agency to examine police officers’ working conditions, identify the causes of problems and devise solutions.

The Korean National Police Workers Council has called for suspending performance-based evaluations and restoring investigative personnel by dismantling the mobile patrol and detective units.

“Upgrading and reviving the previously abolished system allowing police to reject complaints and prioritize cases based on their characteristics and importance could help alleviate the overwhelming workload, “ said Professor Kwak Dae-kyung of Dongguk University's College of Police and Criminal Justice.

BY LEE BO-RAM, WOO JI-WON [woo.jiwon@joongang.co.kr]