The private security industry in South Korea: a familiar tale of growth, gaps and the need for better regulation

The growing literature on the growth, structure and regulation of private security has tended to focus upon the Australia, North America and Western Europe with relatively little published on other countries. South Korea is one such country where there has been little published and this paper seeks to provide some baseline information on the growth, structure and regulation of the private security industry. The paper also explores some of the major issues and problems confronting the industry and the findings suggest a familiar picture found in most other security industries: spectacular growth, gaps in the legislative framework and the need for better regulation.