[Anchor]

Public distrust in the police organization has been growing following the Jang Yun-gi case, with particular concerns raised over allegations of collusion involving local police. This is also impacting the expansion of the autonomous police system, a key national policy task of the Lee Jae-myung administration. Our reporting has confirmed that President Lee Jae-myung has ordered an adjustment in the pace of the rollout.

Reporter Kang Min-u has the exclusive report.

[Reporter]

The Lee Jae-myung administration has set the gradual expansion and full implementation of the autonomous police system as a national policy task.

On July 2, a pan-government consultative body under the Prime Minister was also launched.

[President Lee Jae-myung (March) : We must gradually expand the autonomous police system to create a dense, field-oriented public safety cooperation system that works together with citizens.]

The government had initially planned to announce the direction for improving the autonomous police system and the pilot operation regions between late July and early August, begin pilot operations next year, and fully implement the system in July 2028.

However, SBS has confirmed that President Lee Jae-myung ordered Prime Minister Han Seong-suk to adjust the pace of the project.

It is reported that the order was made with the intention that, given the decline in public trust in the police due to incidents such as the Jang Yun-gi case, the project should undergo sufficient deliberation rather than being pushed forward hastily.

This is interpreted as a directive to carefully gather public opinion and establish measures to prevent side effects, as there have been concerns that the autonomous police system could lead to issues such as collusion between local police and local power structures, or a loss of central control, despite the original intent of decentralizing police power and realizing local autonomy.

It is known that the government plans to create opportunities to listen to the opinions of the public as well as police officers in the field.

A key official from the Blue House stated, "We are gathering opinions from relevant ministries and reviewing the matter from various angles," adding, "Nothing has been finalized yet."

The public distrust in the police, which has grown due to the Jang Yun-gi case, is effectively affecting the timeline of the national policy task. Attention is now focused on the direction and speed of the autonomous police system, which is intertwined with changes in the criminal justice system, such as whether to abolish the prosecution's supplementary investigation rights.


(Video reporting: Jeong Sang-bo, Ha Ryung | Video editing: Nam Il | Design: Kang Yun-jeong)