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Over the past five years, 354 police officers have had their disciplinary actions canceled or reduced through appeals. According to data received by People Power Party lawmaker Park Sang-woong from the National Police Agency, a total of 331 police officers had their disciplinary actions reduced through appeals from 2021 to 2025, with an average of about 70 disciplinary outcomes being overturned each year.
There are also 23 police officers whose disciplinary actions were completely canceled or deemed invalid, and the number of appeal cases is on the rise. Last year, the number of appeal cases related to police officers was 411, a 34.3% increase from 306 cases in 2021. This phenomenon is interpreted as an indicator of the lax discipline within the police force.
In particular, there are cases where police officers facing dismissal due to disciplinary actions have been reinstated through appeals. For example, a police officer who was dismissed for drunk driving in Gwangju in 2024 had their punishment reduced to a demotion through the appeal process, allowing them to proceed with reinstatement. This repeated reduction of disciplinary actions further highlights issues of accountability within the police. Experts point out the need for a more precise assessment of the facts and degree of responsibility at the disciplinary stage.