History and scholarship
The intellectual history of surveillance runs from Bentham's Panopticon (1791) to Foucault's analysis of disciplinary power (1975). Shearing and Stenning (1981, Crime and Justice) launched modern private-security research; Jones and Newburn (1998) examined its relation to public policing; and Cohen and Felson's (1979) routine activity theory explains the role of capable guardians.
Getting it
It is generally a two-stage exam (law, private security theory; then the Act and an elective) followed by mandatory training. Check notices for exemptions. Requirements, subjects, credit and practicum rules, pass criteria and dates can change; always check the administering body's notice and current law.
Work and careers
Security firms, facility and electronic security management, and corporate security. Some combine it with police exam prep.
FAQ
- Is it required by firms?
- Certain firms must appoint one under the Act; check current law.
- General or mechanical?
- Manned guarding vs electronic systems.
Sources reviewed: 2026-10-26
References
- Q-Net 큐넷(한국산업인력공단). https://www.q-net.or.kr
- 국가법령정보센터. https://www.law.go.kr
- 경찰청. https://www.police.go.kr
- Bentham, J. (1791). Panopticon; or, The Inspection-House. London: T. Payne.
- Foucault, M. (1975). Surveiller et punir: Naissance de la prison. Gallimard.
- Shearing, C. D., & Stenning, P. C. (1981). Modern private security: Its growth and implications. Crime and Justice, 3, 193–245.
- Cohen, L. E., & Felson, M. (1979). Social change and crime rate trends: A routine activity approach. American Sociological Review, 44(4), 588–608.
- Jones, T., & Newburn, T. (1998). Private Security and Public Policing. Clarendon Press.
- Spence, M. (1973). Job market signaling. Quarterly Journal of Economics, 87(3), 355–374.
- Collins, R. (1979). The Credential Society: An Historical Sociology of Education and Stratification. Academic Press.
- Abbott, A. (1988). The System of Professions: An Essay on the Division of Expert Labor. University of Chicago Press.