President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday. [Yonhap]
President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae on Tuesday. [Yonhap]

President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday ordered officials to consider establishing a dedicated police reform body, saying a breakdown in discipline and irresponsibility in public safety had become a serious problem.

"Among all state institutions, the police will likely wield the greatest power going forward," Lee said at a Cabinet meeting he chaired at Cheong Wa Dae. "Public concern is very high."

The directive marked the second consecutive day Lee had pressed for sweeping police reform. On Monday, he described himself as "devastated" over the disappearance of a woman surnamed Jang in Jeju and allegations that police had concealed the case, ordering a thorough investigation and a full review of case-closure and command procedures. On Tuesday he went further, specifically calling for the creation of a police reform body.

Lee particularly stressed command accountability, saying it was not enough to hold only frontline officers responsible for misconduct.

"The police is a critically important state organization built on a chain of command, and command accountability matters enormously," he said. "If the matter ends with punishing only frontline staff, what is the point of having a command structure at all?"

"Those in command have authority, but they must naturally bear responsibility commensurate with that authority," he added. "That is the only way an organization can be properly managed day to day."

Lee also warned that concentrated power invariably magnifies problems. "The same issue causes far greater harm when the authority involved is larger," he said. "Accountability must be strengthened in proportion to the size of that authority."

He also asked Prime Minister Han Myeong-sook to gather public opinion and draw up concrete police reform measures.

Lee reiterated the need to overcome the country's Seoul-centered development model in order to achieve balanced national growth.

"Balanced development is a gateway we must pass through for South Korea's sustainable growth and a genuine improvement in the quality of life for our people," he said. "It is also the path to resolving many problems stemming from the concentration of population and resources in the greater Seoul area, including real estate issues."

He called on central and local governments to work together toward that goal. "The central and local governments must form a solid team and pool their strength to build a better future for South Korea," Lee said. "The central government must actively support and firmly back a nationwide transformation led by local governments."

On the question of lowering the age threshold for juveniles under criminal age, Lee said he hoped for a swift resolution. "It seems to have been delayed far too long," he said. "The range is set — lower it by about one or two years for serious, repeat offenses."


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