What did President Lee Jae Myung say about police reform after the shift in investigative authority?

Lee said the police should carry out internal overhaul and system improvements with a bone-cutting determination. He also called for an overall review of practices and systems used to process cases so public safety gaps do not continue.

Why did Lee Jae Myung press for police internal reform now?

He linked the push to recent cases that exposed weaknesses in public safety management, especially the Jeju missing-person cases. Lee said the goal of reform is to make tangible improvements in people’s lives and protect people’s lives and rights.

What other system reforms did Lee Jae Myung call for besides police reform?

Lee pointed to loopholes in national pension distribution that unfairly benefit ineligible foreign residents. He instructed officials to come up with reforms so social security systems are fair and do not give anyone an unreasonable advantage or disadvantage.

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

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Summary

President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday called for police internal reform in Seoul after a legal revision shifted all investigative authority from prosecutors to the police. He linked the call to recent public outrage over missing-person cases on Jeju, where a police officer was accused of closing cases without confirming the missing people were safe. Lee also urged reforms to address loopholes in national pension distribution and to build a trustworthy public safety system.

Key Facts

The revision to the Criminal Procedure Act will completely strip the prosecution of investigative authority and leave that power solely to the police.
The police faced public criticism after an officer in Jeju was accused of closing multiple missing-person cases without confirming the safety of those reported missing.
Two of the missing people in those cases were later found dead.

By Yonhap

Published Sep 3, 2026 4:06 pm KST
Updated Sep 3, 2026 4:40 pm KST

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a meeting with his senior aides at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Thursday. Yonhap

President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday called on the police to step up internal reform following a legal revision that will transfer prosecutors' investigative authority entirely to the police.

Lee renewed the call during a meeting with his top aides following the recent passage of a revision to the Criminal Procedure Act, which will completely strip the prosecution of all investigative authority, leaving such power solely to the police.

Ahead of the scheduled transition, the police came under public outcry after 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. Two of them were found dead.

"The police should embark on an internal overhaul and system improvements with a bone-cutting determination in light of recent cases," Lee said. "An overall review should also be carried out to determine whether there are any flaws in the practices and systems used to process cases."

The president pointed out that recent cases of police mishandling exposed a major weak point in the management of public safety, calling for measures to ensure there are no gaps in the protection of people's lives and rights.

"The goal of all reform is to make tangible improvements in people's lives," the president said, instructing officials to establish a trustworthy public safety system.

Lee also zeroed in on apparent loopholes in the distribution of national pensions that unfairly benefit ineligible foreign residents, calling for system reforms.

"Social security systems that run on financial resources pooled by the public should be designed fairly to prevent anyone from unfairly benefiting or being unreasonably disadvantaged," the president said, instructing officials to come up with system reforms.

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