President Lee Jae-myung called on the Serious Crime Investigation Agency, saying, "Please prove to the public the agency's reason for existence and necessity by mobilizing all investigative power without sanctuaries and strictly cracking down, regardless of side, on major crimes that destroy the people's lives and disrupt social order, such as white-collar crimes, power-based corruption crimes, and securities and financial crimes."

At a Cabinet meeting he chaired at the Blue House on this day, President Lee made the request to Kim Ji-yong, head of the agency, who was attending for the first time, noting, "Prosecutorial reform has been institutionally completed to completely separate investigation and prosecution, and to place the Public Prosecution Agency and the Serious Crime Investigation Agency under different ministries."

President Lee continued, "As the agency embarks on a fresh start as an investigative body for major crimes, new determination and commitment are required. Since it is a newly launched institution, there may be many shortcomings, but please carry out promptly and strictly the crucial task of resolving public concerns and anxieties regarding prosecutorial reform and fairly maintaining basic social order."

Kim Ji-yong, head of the agency, replied, "I will successfully establish the Serious Crime Investigation Agency, complete prosecutorial reform, and do my utmost to protect the rights and interests of the people."


President Lee also addressed the police, ahead of the 81st Police Day on October 21, urging, "No matter how much authority expands, without public trust, it is nothing more than a castle built on sand. All members of the police must keep in mind that all public authority originates from public trust."

He added, "Please do your utmost to enhance fairness, transparency, and accountability in investigations, and to establish robust internal self-cleansing and external oversight mechanisms."

Mentioning recent spates of relational crimes—crimes occurring where a certain relationship has formed between victim and perpetrator—and knife attacks, President Lee instructed, "To ensure a safe daily life for the public, an extensive overhaul of the existing public safety system is also necessary. Extraordinary measures must be devised so that incidents threatening people's lives and safety through such antisocial violent crimes are never repeated."

He added, "Representative livelihood-infringing crimes such as hacking, illegal private lending, local corruption, voice phishing, and drug crimes must also be sternly dealt with under a zero-tolerance principle."

President Lee reiterated, "Public trust stems from concrete actions and achievements on the ground of public livelihood. Please join forces so that the police can be reborn as a true police force of the people that they can trust and rely upon."
 
(Photo: Yonhap News)