South Korea nominates Kim Jong-chul as police chief after two-year vacancy

Kim Jong-chul, deputy commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency, was nominated on November 6, 2026, to serve as the agency's commissioner general, Yonhap reported. The post has been 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 the nomination at a critical time, ahead of a meeting of the National Police Commission convened to deliberate on his appointment. "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 runs through 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 appointment by the president. The nominee can be appointed by the president even without parliamentary consent following the confirmation hearing.

Born in Hamyang, South Gyeongsang Province, in 1970, Kim majored in English at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. He entered the police force as a lieutenant in 1997 and has held positions including chief of the Seoul Seocho Police Station and head of the Autonomous Police Division at the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency. He served at Cheong Wa Dae in 2021 during the previous Moon Jae-in administration, became chief of the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency in September 2025 and was appointed deputy commissioner general in September 2026, serving since as acting commissioner general.