Global Economic Times

Bucheon City Operates 'Special Judicial Police Interpreter Volunteers' to Eradicate Uninsured Foreigner Driving and Protect Human Rights: KO YONG-CHUL Reporter / Updated : 2025-07-14 14:09:23

Proactive Response to Growing Foreigner Population… Expectation for Enhanced Investigative Fairness and Human Rights

Bucheon – Bucheon City is implementing innovative measures to enhance investigative fairness and protect human rights in response to its rapidly increasing foreign population. Since May, the city has been operating a 'Special Judicial Police Interpreter Volunteer' corps, taking the lead in preventing uninsured vehicle operation by foreigners and protecting their rights. This initiative is noteworthy as a rare proactive response among local governments with large foreign populations.

Growing Foreigner Population and the Seriousness of the Uninsured Problem

Bucheon City has observed a proportional increase in incidents and fines related to uninsured driving as its foreign population and registered vehicles steadily grow. As of the end of June 2025, Bucheon City's foreign population reached 52,873, and the number of registered foreign vehicles was recorded at 9,748. This figure accounts for approximately 5% of Bucheon City's total population, indicating its characteristic as a densely populated area for foreigners.

Uninsured vehicle operation is a serious problem that makes victim compensation difficult in the event of an accident, causes social conflict, and ultimately threatens the safety of all citizens. Foreigners are often at greater risk of uninsured driving due to a lack of awareness about the importance of insurance or difficulty obtaining relevant information due to language barriers. In response, Bucheon City is actively promoting the necessity of mandatory insurance for foreigners and the disadvantages of not being insured. This includes producing cartoon-style promotional materials and distributing them to administrative welfare centers and foreign support organizations.

Establishing a Human Rights-Centered Investigation System Through 'Special Judicial Police Interpreter Volunteers'

The 'Special Judicial Police Interpreter Volunteer' program introduced by Bucheon City plays a pivotal role in solving these problems. Currently, 21 volunteers fluent in 9 languages, including Chinese, are active, providing professional interpretation support during investigations involving foreigners.

Previously, communication difficulties often arose due to language barriers during investigations involving foreigners, which could lead to misunderstandings or even human rights violations. Recognizing these issues, Bucheon City has not only revamped its investigation room environment but also devised an innovative plan to form a volunteer corps to utilize professional interpreting personnel without incurring additional costs.

These volunteers significantly contribute to enhancing the accuracy and speed of cases by providing judicial interpretation during investigations. Beyond simply interpreting languages, they facilitate smooth communication based on their understanding of legal terminology and procedures, ensuring that statements from foreign suspects or witnesses are accurately recorded. This, in turn, prevents human rights violations and ensures fair defense rights for foreign suspects. Bucheon City's policy is to protect the safety of its citizens while also protecting the rights and interests of foreigners through such interpretation support.

Leading Efforts and Future Plans

A Bucheon City official stated, "We expect the operation of these interpreter volunteers to greatly contribute to resolving communication problems in investigations involving foreigners and creating a safe and trustworthy administrative environment for both foreigners and citizens."

Indeed, these efforts are regarded as a leading example nationwide. While many local governments face administrative difficulties due to increasing foreign populations, few attempts are made to proactively build manpower and systems to solve these problems like Bucheon City. Bucheon City's current case is expected to serve as a model for other local governments in the future.

Bucheon City plans to expand its interpreting personnel to meet diverse language demands and continuously improve interpretation quality. Furthermore, it will share operational experiences with other departments that operate 'Special Judicial Police' and establish a more efficient investigation system through mutual cooperation. These ongoing efforts will be a crucial stepping stone for Bucheon City to establish itself as a model multicultural society and create a city where all citizens are safe and respected.