ASSISTANT INSPECTOR JI-EUN KO knew from childhood that policing was the profession for her. This resolve never wavered, and she strived to achieve that goal, born from a desire to help people and provide a safer environment for her community. She joined the Korean National Police (KNP) in 2012 and has quickly risen through the ranks to her current position. Working at the International Cooperation Division of the KNP, Asst. Insp. Ko has established a collaboration between various police agencies through the agency’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) program.

In a first of its kind project through ODA, Asst. Insp. Ko was a main coordinator in a cooperation mechanism among the KNP, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and other stakeholders, which were tasked with police capacity building in three Central American countries: Honduras, El Salvador, and Guatemala. The project, which spanned an eight-year period, resulted in several accomplishments, such as the completion of a program-funded police training institute in Guatemala. Asst. Insp. Ko’s leadership qualities and enthusiasm toward the development of global policing is immeasurable. Her contribution has also led the KNP to expand its ODA program to support police capacity building in other partner countries.

Asst. Insp. Ko’s accomplishments in fostering relationships in global policing has earned her several recognitions, specifically, the Presidential Award in 2019 for significant achievement in international police cooperation and the KOICA Award for coordinating and successfully leading the government ODA program since 2017.

“I feel joyful and motivated when I know my work makes the world a better place.”