President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday called for police internal reform in Seoul after a legal revision shifted all investigative authority from prosecutors to the police. He linked the call to recent public outrage over missing-person cases on Jeju, where a police officer was accused of closing cases without confirming the missing people were safe. Lee also urged reforms to address loopholes in national pension distribution and to build a trustworthy public safety system.
President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a meeting with his senior aides at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap
President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday called on the police to step up internal reform following a legal revision that will transfer prosecutors' investigative authority entirely to the police.
Lee renewed the call during a meeting with his top aides following the recent passage of a revision to the Criminal Procedure Act, which will completely strip the prosecution of all investigative authority, leaving such power solely to the police.
Ahead of the scheduled transition, the police came under public outcry after a police officer on the southern island of Jeju was accused of closing multiple missing-person cases without confirming the safety of those reported missing. Two of them were found dead.
