A Study on South Korea’s Public Confidence Regarding Its Police Authority

Abstract

This paper explores the serious issue of a low public confidence in South Korea’s police authority. A low public confidence hinders legitimate law-enforcement activities and weakens the organizational capacity for the maintenance of security. Through a cross-national analysis, this paper reveals an exceptionally low level of public confidence regarding South Korea’s police authority and the problematic nature of the public’s legal cynicism; furthermore, it is suggested that these factors contribute to the citizens’ overall lack of compliance with regulations. Since the country’s transition to democracy, South Korea’s police authority has implemented different reformative measures and has strived to earn the public’s confidence; however, despite this effort, its goal has not been fully accomplished. This paper examines the recent police-governance reform of England and Wales as a reference point and explores the applicable policies.