Korea Customs Service overhauls training for special judicial police officers… beefs up crypto-asset tracing and anti-money laundering response

The Korea Customs Service (KCS) will completely redesign the training system for special judicial police officers dedicated to investigating trade-related crimes and strengthen capabilities to respond to crypto-asset crimes.

According to the KCS on the 25th, the overhaul is intended to address changes in the investigative environment, including the growing sophistication and diversification of trade crimes and reforms to the criminal justice system. With rising demands for investigative expertise and accountability, the focus is on systematically enhancing frontline response capabilities.

The plan includes strengthening specialized training at the Customs Border Human Resources Development Institute, along with expanding in-house, job-related training at customs offices nationwide. The curriculum will be redesigned from an existing practice-centered approach into a tailored system based on experience and roles. Criminal law and the Criminal Procedure Act will be mandatory across all courses to improve legal understanding of the overall criminal process.

In particular, in the foreign exchange investigation field, the KCS will establish a long-term training program that includes tracing and analyzing crypto assets (cryptocurrencies) and case-based foreign exchange investigative techniques. Through this, it plans to bolster the foundation for responding to new crime methods such as underground remittances and money laundering using crypto assets.

In the narcotics investigation field, it will introduce a basic course covering specialized procedures such as controlled delivery, and expand hands-on training in restraint and self-defense techniques to prepare for unexpected situations during arrest and seizure. Employees with a certain level of experience will be shifted to practice-oriented training such as simulated investigations to strengthen on-the-ground responsiveness.

Each regional customs headquarters will regularly conduct special lectures on criminal law by inviting prosecutors from the competent district prosecutors’ offices, as well as training on protecting suspects’ human rights. It will also institutionalize tailored practical training reflecting each customs office’s characteristics and case-based training led by investigation team leaders.

The KCS plans to make ongoing the review of crypto-asset-related investigation cases and analysis of key court precedents through investigation and case-law study groups, and to hold a nationwide customs competition to share best practices.

KCS Commissioner Lee Myeong-gu said, “Redesigning the training system is an investment to fundamentally raise the professionalism and accountability of customs investigations,” adding, “We will systematically cultivate outstanding frontline investigators and develop into a trusted investigative agency that safeguards fair market order.”