President Lee Calls for 'War on Violent Crime,' Saying 'Situation Cannot Be Neglected'

President Lee Jae-myung stated today (October 23), "We must approach violent crime with the determination of declaring war," adding, "We must make a massive shift beyond post-incident response to a proactive prevention system, such as establishing mechanisms to detect warning signs early."

President Lee made the remarks during his opening statement at a "Pan-Government Response Meeting for an Ultra-Safe Society" held at the Blue House, emphasizing, "Protecting the lives and safety of the people is the most fundamental duty of the state."

President Lee instructed officials, "Based on thorough analyses of crimes that have already occurred to determine whether there were ways to prevent them beforehand, we must establish measures to prevent recurrence and firmly protect the public from the threat of similar crimes."

In particular, he pointed out, "Recently, public anxiety has been growing as a series of violent crimes have taken place, ranging from crimes occurring within intimate relationships, such as family members or romantic partners, to motive-less crimes targeting unspecified individuals," diagnosing, "Such crimes are serious issues that endanger the safety of society as a whole, not just the individual victims."

He went on to state, "In relationship-based crimes, cases continue to recur where victims are exposed to ongoing threats or fail to receive adequate protection even after reporting the danger," noting, "We cannot leave unaddressed a situation where people must worry about their safety even in daily life."


Meanwhile, ministers and vice ministers from nine relevant government bodies—including the Office for Government Policy Coordination, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Ministry of Education, the National Police Agency, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and the Ministry of Planning and Budget—attended the meeting, and discussions were held under the theme of the "Pan-Government Action Plan for an Ultra-Safe Society" to meticulously establish a proactive violent crime prevention system.

President Lee urged, "The pan-government action plan is the starting point for building a society where anyone can feel safe and reassured in their everyday lives," adding, "As there must not be the slightest loophole when it comes to protecting the lives and safety of the people, I hope effective measures will be prepared."

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.