[Edaily PARK KIJOO Reporter Jeong Yu-jin] Deputy Commissioner Kim Jong-cheol (currently Acting Commissioner General of the National Police Agency) has been selected as the first candidate for Commissioner General under the Lee Jae-myung administration. Within the police force, Candidate Kim is regarded as an expert in public safety and law enforcement. Given the recent surge in violent crimes and the growing calls for stronger public safety measures, this selection is seen as a judgment that Candidate Kim is the right person for the job.

Nominee Kim appeared before the National Police Commission in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, on the 6th in his capacity as a nominee for Commissioner General of the National Police Agency. The appointment of the Commissioner General follows a procedure in which the President appoints the candidate after the Presidential Office recommends and nominates a candidate, followed by approval from the National Police Commission, a recommendation by the Minister of the Interior and Safety, and a confirmation hearing in the National Assembly.

Speaking to reporters that day, Nominee Kim stated, “I am well aware that public expectations for the police are higher than ever and that there are many voices of concern,” adding, “I feel a heavy sense of responsibility for being nominated as Commissioner General of the National Police Agency during such a critical time.” He added, “As my capabilities and qualifications are being evaluated today as a nominee for Commissioner General, I will approach this with a responsible attitude and do my utmost.”

Born in Hamyang, South Gyeongsang Province, in 1970, Nominee Kim graduated from Myeongsin High School in Jinju and the Department of English at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies. He joined the police force in 1997 as a member of the 45th class of police officer candidates. During his career with the police, he earned a master’s degree in Convergence Security from Chung-Ang University Graduate School and a Ph.D. in Public Safety from the Police University’s Graduate School of Public Safety.

Nominee Kim’s strength lies in the field of public safety. His career history is also concentrated in this area. Promoted to Superintendent General in 2021, Nominee Kim has served as Director of the Local Police Bureau at the Busan Metropolitan Police Agency; Director of the Public Safety Bureau at the Daegu Metropolitan Police Agency; Director of the Public Safety Bureau at the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency; Director of the Community Safety and Traffic Bureau at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency; Director of the Public Safety Bureau at the South Chungcheong Provincial Police Agency; and Director of the Community Safety Bureau at the Gangwon Provincial Police Agency. He also served at the National Affairs Situation Room within the Office of the Presidential Secretary during the Moon Jae-in administration.

In effect, he has experience managing public safety in most regions across the country. Given the recent spate of heinous crimes—including the Incheon knife attack and the murder of a mother-in-law in Songpa—it is interpreted that he was selected to allay public anxiety by appointing someone well-versed in this field.

Furthermore, the fact that he has virtually no ties to the Yoon Suk-yeol administration is also believed to have influenced his nomination. The Lee Jae-myung administration delayed appointing a National Police Agency Commissioner for 23 months—even though the agency had been operating under an acting leadership structure since the departure of former Commissioner Cho Ji-ho.

The Commissioner General is selected from among Senior Police Commissioners, the second-highest rank in the police organization; however, the process was delayed because a significant number of senior officials had been promoted under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration. It is interpreted that the delay was due to the controversy over police responsibility during the December 4 martial law incident and the Lee Jae-myung administration’s strong determination to root out those involved in the martial law movement.

Nominee Kim was also promoted to Police Commissioner in September 2025 after the Lee Jae-myung administration took office and was appointed Chief of the South Gyeongsang Provincial Police Agency; he was then promoted to Senior Commissioner—the second-highest rank in the police force—this past September. Go Beom-seok, Chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, who followed a similar career path, was also mentioned as a strong candidate, but the Blue House ultimately chose Nominee Kim.