▲ Candidates perform push-ups during the physical fitness test for the second half of 2025 police officer recruitment at the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency's fitness center in Namdong-gu, Incheon, on the 25th.
The proportion of female successful candidates in the first integrated police recruitment, implemented this year, has been recorded at 37.8%.
The National Police Agency announced today (June 22) that it released the final list of 2,941 successful candidates for the first half of 2026 open competitive police recruitment exam on the 19th.
The successful candidates consist of 1,829 men (62.2%) and 1,112 women (37.8%).
Out of 29,972 applicants, 62.9% were men and 37.1% were women. The police explained that the gender ratio of the final successful candidates did not show a significant difference from the ratio of applicants.
This recruitment marks the first time the integrated gender selection method has been fully applied to open police officer recruitment.
Previously, open recruitment for police officers operated with separate quotas for men and women, with the female selection rate typically hovering around 20%.
The police analyzed that the increase in the proportion of female successful candidates is a result reflecting the fact that the competition rate for female applicants has consistently been higher than that for men.
The pass rate for the circular physical fitness test in this exam was 63.9% overall, with 88.6% for men and 42.5% for women.
Yoo Jae-sung, Acting Commissioner General of the Korean National Police Agency, stated at a press conference today, "Despite this being the first large-scale integrated gender recruitment, we operated the multi-stage exam process—including written, physical, and interview tests—in a stable manner."
Regarding concerns that an increase in female police officers could weaken on-site response capabilities, he replied, "If such concerns manifest into reality or if we determine there is a serious problem, we will consider institutional improvements."
Furthermore, Acting Commissioner General Yoo emphasized, "While the proportion of female successful candidates in this recruitment is 37.8%, the proportion of female officers among the entire police force is 16.7%. We will continue to analyze and monitor the situation to ensure there are no issues that cause public concern."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.