Lee calls for police's internal reform amid shift in investigative authority

President Lee Jae Myung has called for a comprehensive internal reform of the police force in South Korea following a legal revision that will transfer all investigative authority from prosecutors to the police. This shift in investigative authority was recently passed through a revision to the Criminal Procedure Act. In light of the recent transition, the police have faced public scrutiny over a series of mishandled cases.

For instance, 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, with two victims subsequently found dead. In response, Lee emphasized the need for an internal overhaul and system improvements, urging the police to take a "bone-cutting determination" to address these issues.

Additionally, an overall review of the practices and systems used to process cases is recommended to identify any flaws in the management of police operations.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Korea Times's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.