Lee stresses addressing public concerns over exclusive police investigative authority

President Lee Jae Myung highlighted the necessity to address public apprehensions regarding the police's investigative authority following a recent legal amendment that stripped prosecutors of their investigative powers, transferring them entirely to law enforcement. Speaking during a session where policy briefings were received from the justice and interior ministries and other governmental bodies, Lee expressed the public's worry about the adequacy and reliability of the police's investigative capabilities, considering their newfound role in finalizing cases.

This directive was implemented the day after the Cabinet, under Lee's leadership, endorsed the promulgation of the Criminal Procedure Act revision, which had been approved by the National Assembly the previous week. The bill effectively eliminates prosecutors' ability to conduct direct investigations, such as supplementary investigations, delegating full investigative power to the police.

The revision was championed by the ruling Democratic Party in response to accusations of prosecutorial abuse of investigative authority, including instances of intervention in high-profile political cases.

Lee acknowledged that while the removal of prosecutors' ability to conduct supplementary investigations might not fully resolve the issue, the shift to exclusive police investigative powers has heightened public concerns about the potential decline in investigation quality. He expressed concern over the lack of a 100% resolution and inquired about the readiness of proper measures to alleviate these concerns.