SEOUL: President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday (Aug 25) ordered the government to draw up a police reform plan, a day after asking police to come up with their own proposals, as scrutiny intensifies over officers alleged mishandling of cases.
In the last week, suspicions have emerged that two missing persons cases were closed on fraudulent grounds. Searches uncovered the bodies of the two people after their families sought continued investigation.
Police are set to assume greater investigative powers in October, but the two cases, which were closed after allegedly insufficient investigations, have sparked calls for stronger accountability from officers.
“Recently, lax discipline within the police and a lack of accountability in maintaining public safety have emerged as serious problems,” Lee said during a weekly Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul. “These problems within the police are nothing new.”
Lee noted that problems could arise across the police force given the sheer size of the organisation, but said efforts to prevent them and strengthen accountability must continue.
“Efforts to minimise such problems must continue without letup, and the systems needed to address them also need to be strengthened,” Lee said.
Lee’s order came amid growing public concern following revelations that a Jeju police officer allegedly fabricated grounds to close two missing person cases in the police system and misled the families about how the cases had been handled.
In one case involving 37-year-old Jang Mi-ran, who was reported missing in May, the officer allegedly recorded that he had spoken with Jang and confirmed her safety when no such contact had taken place. Police resumed the search only after Jang’s family contacted authorities in mid-August to ask about the investigation. Her remains were found Monday.
The same officer is also suspected of improperly closing a July 2 missing person report involving a man in his 60s. His family filed another report on Friday, and he was found dead the following day.
Speaking at the meeting, Lee stressed the need for police reform as Korea prepares for a criminal justice overhaul taking effect Oct 2 that will strip prosecutors of investigative authority and shift those powers to the police.
“Whenever power becomes concentrated, the problems tend to become greater. Even the same problem can have a greater impact when more authority is involved,” Lee said. “That is why responsibility must also increase in proportion to the power granted.”
Referring to the amendment to the Criminal Procedure Act, Lee said, “The police are likely to become the state institution exercising the greatest power going forward.”
“There is considerable public concern about that,” Lee said. “Questions are bound to arise over whether the police are capable of fully bearing the responsibility that comes with such broad authority.”
Against that backdrop, Lee ordered officials to “consider how to reform the police going forward, including whether and how to set up a police reform body.”
“I would like the Prime Minister’s Office to take the lead and devise a way forward through broad consultation with the public,” he added.
Lee further stressed the importance of command responsibility within the police, noting that “the police are a state organisation where obedience to the chain of command is extremely important.”
“If wrongdoing by front-line officers ends only with disciplinary action against those individual officers, then what is the purpose of having a chain of command?” Lee said.
“Those in command have the authority to give orders, but they must also bear responsibility commensurate with that authority. Only then, I think, can an organization be properly managed on a day-to-day basis.”
Following Lee’s order at the meeting, the Korean National Police Agency said four officials in the chain of command at Jeju western police station had been relieved of their posts and placed on standby over supervisory responsibility for the mishandling of missing person reports.
The KNPA added that an internal inspection was underway to establish the facts and determine the extent of command and supervisory responsibility.
In addition, police are now reviewing all 298 missing person reports handled and closed by the officer in Jeju as well as conducting a broader nationwide review of missing person cases.
During the Cabinet meeting, Lee also called on relevant ministries to swiftly reach a decision on lowering the age threshold for juveniles exempt from criminal punishment.
“The issue of lowering the age of criminal responsibility for juveniles has been dragging on for too long, so I hope we can reach a conclusion quickly,” Lee said.
Lee first ordered relevant ministries in February to begin a public consultation process, aiming to reach a conclusion within two months.
In mid-July, the Gender Equality and Family Ministry reported that the strongest public support was for lowering the current age threshold of 14 only for serious or repeat offenses.
“The range of options is already fairly clear — lowering the threshold by one or two years for serious or repeat offenses,” Lee said. “I would like us to take another look at where public opinion stands on this issue, settle the matter expeditiously and move forward with legislation.” - The Korea Herald/ANN
