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Police to implement drug tests for senior officers

Published: 13 Aug. 2025, 20:54

The police logo [YONHAP]

Police will conduct drug tests on all senior officers holding the rank of senior superintendent or above, the Korean National Police Commission announced on Wednesday.

Under the plan approved at a commission meeting on Aug. 4, drug tests will first be carried out by September on senior superintendents and above, as well as officers in audit, inspection and narcotics units at city and provincial police agencies.

The tests will be conducted without prior notice to ensure effectiveness, using a “rapid oral fluid test” method to minimize human rights concerns, and will only proceed with the individual’s consent.

In the second half of the year, the program will be expanded to include new police cadets, and the National Police Agency will seek to amend the Police Officers Act to allow for random drug testing of up to 10 percent of personnel at each precinct.

“The aim is to establish the principle that drug offenders cannot exist within the police force and to ensure that, as the primary agency responsible for narcotics enforcement, the police can stand before the public with integrity,” the agency said.

Test results — whether positive or negative, and whether consent was given — will be recorded solely for statistical purposes and will not be used for any other reason, according to the National Police Agency.

While officers cannot be forced to take the tests without consent, the fact that refusal will be recorded has raised concerns about potential backlash within the force.

“I cannot agree with the idea of conducting drug tests on police officers based on the perception that they are potential criminals,” one commission member said.

Critics warn that officers who refuse testing may fear suspicion from supervisors or colleagues, or potential career disadvantages, effectively coercing them into waiving their rights.

The commission also approved plans to reassign members of the mobile patrol unit to specialized teams targeting large-scale fraud and phishing crimes. It further decided to redeploy local police staff to address disparities in public safety between jurisdictions and to bolster overstretched units handling cases involving sexual assault, domestic abuse and minors.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom staff.
BY MOON SANG-HYEOK [[email protected]]