Police mull hiring law school grads for ranking posts

SEOUL, July 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's national police agency is considering recruiting the country's first-ever law school graduates as high-ranking officers, officials said Wednesday.
   "As part of efforts to bolster investigation competence, we are looking into hiring law school graduates who have obtained attorney licenses," said an official at the National Police Agency.
   The official, however, said a revision of the agency's employment ranking system should be mandated ahead of the envisioned plan, which would involve talks with the Ministry of Public Administration and Security.
   In 2007, the government passed a bill to create U.S.-style three-year law schools and phase out an old system of selecting law professionals by state examinations by 2017. The Justice Ministry also revealed a plan to interview dean-picked law school students and shortlist candidates to become prosecutors.
   The move, however, has raised concerns that students would face tougher competition in landing jobs amid worsening employment conditions.
   The country's first class of law school students is expected to graduate next year.