About 2,800 South Korean police officers were disciplined from 2021 through the first half of 2026, according to National Police Agency data submitted to the National Assembly. Roughly six in ten sanctioned officers were inspectors or senior inspectors, the middle ranks that carry significant field and supervisory responsibility.
Conduct violations, including drunk driving, were the largest category in the data. Police leadership is considering permanently excluding senior officers who receive serious sanctions from key posts.