President Lee Jae-myung said on the 25th that police are likely to wield the greatest power among state institutions going forward, adding that public concern over this is significant. "I ask you to consider how to reform the police in the future and to think about a police reform body," Lee said at a Cabinet meeting he chaired at the presidential office that day. Lee then instructed the prime minister's office to devise a plan through broad public consultation on how to establish such a body.
Lee pointed out that problems have emerged seriously in recent cases, citing lax discipline within the police and irresponsible conduct in public-safety incidents. The remarks are seen as reflecting the recent situation in which inappropriate police conduct during investigations — including the so-called "Jang Yun-gi case" and the "Jang Mi-ran disappearance case" — has repeatedly come under scrutiny.
