President Lee Jae-myung said on the 29th that disciplinary action against police officers who commit misconduct in the line of duty should go as far as barring them from police work altogether or dismissing them.
Speaking at a Cabinet meeting held at the Blue House, Lee turned to the question of police authority and pointed to a recent case. "There was a report not long ago that police had fabricated a case and the disciplinary action taken was only a minor reprimand," he said.
"From the public's point of view, people suffer unjust harm — and in some cases the perpetrator and the victim are switched, evidence is concealed and the investigation is fabricated, leaving a lifelong grievance," Lee said. Framing his remarks as his own opinion, he added forcefully, "A minor reprimand makes no sense. It is not appropriate to keep the level of discipline or the severity of accountability at the same level as in the past."
He also said strengthening internal inspection functions and their independence was important. "They must not shield one another just because they are all part of the same family," he said. He noted in particular that police now hold the authority to close investigations. "Doesn't that mean external checks during the investigative process have effectively become difficult?" he said. "Their responsibility grows far greater as a result, so we must build a thorough system to ensure investigations are fair and objective and to correct them when they go wrong."
In response, Prime Minister Han Seong-sook reported that a police reform committee would be launched under the Prime Minister's Office in late September or early October. "We will establish a body to inspect and investigate human rights issues in police investigations, and in consultation with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, we will move forward with work to strengthen the system, including the areas where ministries should provide checks and independent oversight," she said.
