President Lee Jae Myung said on the 21st to the police, “I hope you will take necessary measures without any gaps to prevent any voids or public harm caused by the absence of supplementary investigative authority, in close cooperation with related agencies such as the Prosecution Service and SCIA.”
The president made this remark during his commemorative speech at the 81st Police Day ceremony held that day, stating, “I believe that preventing the public’s concerns from becoming reality is the role and responsibility of all of you in the field.”
President Lee Jae Myung had repeatedly expressed his stance that it is appropriate to exceptionally retain prosecutors’ supplementary investigative authority. However, hardliners within the Democratic Party of Korea insisted on its ‘complete abolition,’ and in July, a revised Criminal Procedure Act abolishing the authority entirely passed the National Assembly. At the ceremony, the president urged the police to minimize any resulting gaps.
President Lee Jae Myung commended the police for protecting citizens’ daily lives against crime, adding, “Nevertheless, I hope you will always be vigilant about the fact that the misconduct of a few and insufficient responses can undermine the trust and reputation of the entire organization.”
The president stated, “We must seriously accept the reality that public trust in the police has been shaken and citizens’ anxiety has grown due to recent consecutive relationship-based crimes and motive-less crimes targeting the general public. As our criminal justice system, maintained for over 70 years, is undergoing a full-scale overhaul, the police’s authority has become more significant than ever, and I hope you will keep in mind that your responsibility has also grown accordingly.”
President Lee Jae Myung requested the police to focus their capabilities on crime prevention, avoid missing the golden time in missing persons cases, and respond swiftly at disaster sites. He also called for establishing democratic control and accountability commensurate with the expanded investigative authority, and improving the quality of public safety through the use of artificial intelligence and advanced technologies.
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