Fiji Police seals deal with South Korea

Fiji will formalise its first police partnership agreement with South Korea in the coming months following Cabinet’s approval on June 24.

This follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Fiji Police Force and South Korean National Police Agency.

Minister for Policing Ioane Naivalarua said the ministry has conveyed this decision through diplomatic channels to the South Korean Government and it anticipates formalising this agreement in the coming months.

This was in response to a question from Assistant Minister for iTaukei Affairs Isikeli Tuiwailevu in Parliament on Thursday. The partnership marks the first formal police collaboration between the two countries, despite Fiji and South Korea establishing diplomatic relations 54 years ago.

Mr Naivalarua said the agreement would create opportunities for enhanced security cooperation and improve Fiji’s capacity to combat crime while fostering stronger bilateral relations.

The Korean National Police Agency operates several affiliated institutions that Fiji officers could benefit from, including the South Korean National Police University, Police Human Resources Development Institute, Central Police Academy and Police Investigation Academy.

“The most important one for us is the Cybercrime Unit. It has good capabilities,” Mr Naivalarua said.

The partnership will enable officer exchanges and professional training opportunities for Fiji Police Force personnel. Mr Naivalarua said the ministry was working on an implementation plan for the partnership, which had been first discussed in 2022.

“The overall idea behind this engagement is really to enlarge and expand our international engagement with professional organisations like the South Korean National Police Agency,” he said.

The agreement also provides access to South Korea’s National Police Hospital, offering additional training and development opportunities for Fiji's law enforcement officers.

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