Regarding the abolition of the prosecution's direct investigative powers through amendments to the Criminal Procedure Act, President Lee Jae-myung stated, "Now that the police will wield immense power, we cannot help but harbor concerns over whether we will truly be safe," while urging the police to make voluntary reform efforts.

Presiding over a Cabinet meeting at the Blue House, President Lee made the remarks, noting, "Three agencies—the police, the Serious Crime Investigation Agency, and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials—now possess all investigative powers up to the final disposition authority."

President Lee pointed out, "Whether the police are mentally prepared to assume responsibilities commensurate with their expanded power is another matter entirely."

He criticized, "I worked as a lawyer for a long time, and I found that not only the prosecution, but police investigations were also untrustworthy," adding, "There are cases where (due to flawed police investigations) perpetrators become victims, or conversely, victims are treated like perpetrators and sent to prison."

President Lee further criticized, "Even when investigative corruption is committed, they issue penalties of a few months' suspension or pay cuts and classify them among themselves as 'heavy disciplinary actions,'" noting, "From the perspective of the victimized citizens, they suffer damages that make them want to end their lives, which is completely incomprehensible."

He went on to mention the necessity of strengthening disciplinary measures for investigative corruption, asking, "(In such cases) shouldn't they at least be dismissed or fired, or permanently barred from conducting investigations? Shouldn't that raise their sense of responsibility?"

In addition, he noted, "There is a heated debate over whether the prosecution's supplementary investigative powers should be allowed, and what measures are needed if they are not. It is difficult to conclude that any single approach is absolute truth, and concerns do exist."

He also cited past examples of inappropriate exercise of power by law enforcement agencies in modern history.

President Lee recalled, "Looking back at constitutional history, there has been a cyclical pattern. At first, (those in power) used the police to establish a dictatorship. Then, after people died and the president stepped down, the military used armed force to establish a dictatorship."

He repeatedly emphasized his concern over power becoming concentrated in the police once again, stating, "After sorting that out, the prosecution effectively ruled as a dictator next. Didn't they engage in biased and dust-sifting investigations?"

President Lee instructed, "Moving forward, scrutiny, monitoring, and checks on the police will intensify significantly. People from all over the world and other power agencies will search for any police wrongdoing," adding, "This is not a bad thing. It is done to encourage better performance, so you must prepare adequately in advance and make thorough efforts with a high sense of responsibility and ethical awareness."

Finally, President Lee added, "While there are many worries, this is a world where humans live, and problems created by humans can be resolved by humans. We must move forward by complementing and filling in the gaps where problems arise."

(Photo: Blue House Press Corps, Yonhap News)