President Lee Jae Myung Calls for Police Reform Body as Agency Gains Investigative Power

President Lee Jae Myung stated on Tuesday that the police will soon possess the greatest power among government agencies and called for the creation of a government body to oversee police reform. The president made these remarks during a Cabinet meeting following the passage of a revision to the Criminal Procedure Act. Once enacted, this revision will completely strip the prosecution of all investigative authority and leave such power solely to the police.

President Lee expressed concern over whether the police are qualified to exercise this authority, citing recent public safety cases that revealed irresponsibility. Specifically, he pointed to a case on Jeju Island where a police officer reportedly closed a missing person case without confirming the woman's safety, and her presumed body was later discovered. The president instructed the prime minister's office to gather public input and develop a plan for the new reform body, noting that concentrated power always creates problems.

During the same meeting, President Lee addressed other national issues. He called for a productive finance strategy to improve people's lives and strengthen industrial competitiveness amid a semiconductor boom. He also urged officials to speed up a revision to the minimum age of criminal responsibility, which the government is considering lowering by one year from 14 for serious crimes. Additionally, the president called for measures to address the de facto monopoly of delivery app platforms following complaints from small business owners regarding commission fees. The Cabinet also approved a legal revision increasing the maximum punishment for employers who retaliate against employees reporting the illegal receipt of state subsidies to up to three years in prison.