President Lee Jae-myung said on the 21st that authorities must "work closely with related agencies, including the Public Prosecution Office and the Major Crimes Investigation Agency, and take thorough measures so that no gaps arise from the absence of supplementary investigative powers."
Lee made the remarks at a ceremony marking the 81st Police Day, urging the force to "establish democratic oversight and accountability commensurate with its expanded investigative authority." He said investigative power "belongs to the people and is delegated by them," adding that it "must therefore be exercised fairly in line with the law and principles, with clear accountability for how it is used."
He also said undue outside interference must be blocked while investigative processes and outcomes are rigorously reviewed. "I hope you will strengthen the substantive role of the National Police Commission and create mechanisms to independently review police investigations," he said. Lee added that protecting crime victims should be firmly established as a core principle of police investigations and that officers must take care not to infringe on citizens' basic and human rights during investigations. "The voices of those vulnerable to crime — women, people with disabilities and children — must not be sidelined," he said.
He went on to say that promises made to the public, such as setting up a subcommittee for vulnerable groups within the Investigation Deliberation Committee, must be faithfully carried out.
Lee also stressed that artificial intelligence and advanced technology should be used to sharply improve the quality of public safety. "Criminal methods are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and crimes exploiting advanced technology are also on the rise," he said. "We must harness advanced technology to respond to evolving crime and continuously improve the entire public safety system, from prevention through investigation."