President Lee: "As Police Power Grows, Accountability Must Also Be Strengthened"... Orders Design of Reform Body

President Lee presides over Cabinet meeting
Mentions Jeju missing person case ahead of launch of Prosecution Office and Serious Crimes Investigation Office
“Solely disciplining field officers is not enough”…Orders Prime Minister’s Office to revi

On the 25th, President Lee Jae-myung instructed the implementation of police reform measures, citing the recent controversy over lax police discipline, including the poor handling of a recent disappearance case in Jeju. He stated, "With great authority comes increased responsibility," and specifically emphasized the need to go beyond merely holding frontline staff accountable. Instead, he called for strengthening the command responsibility and implementing reforms that raise accountability throughout the police organization, noting the potential further expansion of police authority through changes such as the adjustment of investigative powers.

President Lee Jae-myung is speaking at the Cabinet meeting held at the Blue House on the 25th. August 25, 2026 [Photo by Blue House Press Photographers Group] Yonhap News

Presiding over the Cabinet meeting at the Blue House on this day, President Lee stated, "The problem of lax discipline and irresponsibility within the police regarding public safety is now surfacing as a serious issue." His remarks appeared to refer to a recent case in Jeju, where a police officer falsely reported that contact had been made with a missing person without directly confirming their safety, and prematurely closed the case. The subsequent discovery of a body believed to be the missing person roughly three months after the incident has intensified debate over the police’s initial response and chain of command and supervision.

President Lee especially stressed that further institutional reform is necessary, mentioning the possible expansion of police authority following the launch of the Public Prosecution Agency and the Major Crimes Investigation Agency. He said, "Power concentrated in one place always leads to bigger problems," and added, "The public is increasingly questioning whether the police can fully uphold the responsibilities that come with such great authority. Please give careful consideration to how we should reform the police going forward and to the establishment of a police reform body," directing these instructions to the Office of the Prime Minister.

"Protecting core technologies is national security itself" ... President Lee calls for industrial espionage countermeasures

President Lee demanded a robust response to the leakage of national core technologies, including semiconductors. He stressed that as the technological supremacy rivalry between the United States and China intensifies, the protection of industrial technology must be seen not merely as a corporate issue but as a matter of "national security."

He also referenced recent court testimony that a foreign company attempted to steal semiconductor technology from a domestic firm, saying, "Illegal cases involving industrial espionage or hacking continue to occur." President Lee warned, "If technologies and expertise, painstakingly accumulated by the nation and corporations over decades at enormous cost, are leaked abroad, the entire industrial ecosystem can suffer severe damage in an instant."

Noting that penalties for overseas technology leakage crimes will be strengthened starting in September, President Lee further underscored that prevention is more important than post-facto punishment. He stated, "What matters is not just catching thieves after the fact, but making sure to tend the barn so the cows are never lost in the first place." He then urged agencies including the National Intelligence Service and the police to "establish a thorough response system with the mindset that protecting core industrial technologies is synonymous with safeguarding national security."

"The single-centered system in the metropolitan area must be overcome ... Central and local governments must become one team"

On the 25th, a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Lee Jae-myung is taking place at the Blue House. August 25, 2026.
Photo by Blue House Press Photographers Group, Yonhap News Agency

President Lee continued by addressing the need for balanced national development. He emphasized, "Citizens living in local regions are just as much a part of the Republic of Korea as anyone else, and local areas are also the country's territory." He further stressed, "Regardless of where someone lives, everyone should have equal opportunity for growth, and the growth of local regions should help drive Korea's progress."

He also called for close cooperation and role division between central and local governments. President Lee said, "The success of balanced development cannot be achieved by the central government alone. The central and local governments must unite as one strong team and work together for a better future for Korea." He added, "Local governments should look beyond local interests to find solutions from a national perspective, while the central government should provide proactive support to help local regions lead a grand transformation of the national territory."

Meanwhile, with next year's budget expected to reach about 800 trillion won, President Lee stressed, "This is not the time to become fixated on the immediate management of fiscal numbers." He proposed focusing expenditures on artificial intelligence (AI), advanced industries, balanced development, talent development, and the youth future ladder, thereby calling for a shift to 'productive finance.'

Discussing the possibility that the government proposal may be revised during parliamentary deliberations, President Lee also voiced clear dissatisfaction with certain media policy reports. He stated, "According to some articles, if the government modifies its policies based on parliamentary opinion, it is criticized as being 'wishy-washy.' If it fails to reach consensus with the National Assembly, it is labeled as 'one-sided.' Whether we move forward, backward, stand still, or sit down, there are cases where criticism is constant; there is no need to be overly concerned with that."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.