President Lee Jae Myung on Friday urged government agencies to confront serious crime with the resolve of “declaring war” and called for stronger measures to prevent random attacks and protect victims of intimate partner abuse.
Lee convened a government-wide meeting at Cheong Wa Dae amid growing public fears over a series of attacks, including an Oct. 13 stabbing in Incheon that injured eight people and an arson attack on two office buildings in Seoul’s Gangnam-gu that injured 19.
“Public anxiety has intensified significantly due to a recent series of serious crimes,” Lee said. “Such crimes pose a grave threat not only to the individual victims but to the safety of society as a whole.”
Lee also called for stronger protection for vulnerable people facing violence from intimate partners, stalkers or family members.
Cases in which people were killed by intimate partners despite wearing police-issued smartwatches have raised questions about the effectiveness of police protection measures.
“There have been recurring instances where people failed to receive adequate protection despite reporting the danger,” Lee said.
“We can no longer tolerate a situation where citizens must worry about their own safety in the course of their daily lives.”
Lee called for a comprehensive system to prevent such crimes and urged officials to thoroughly analyze past cases to develop measures to prevent a recurrence.
“Protecting the lives and safety of its citizens is the most fundamental duty of a country. We must approach the fight against serious crime with the same resolve as if we were declaring war,” Lee said.
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