Overview
- At a National Police Day ceremony, President Lee Jae Myung called for continuous reform so the police can earn public trust as they ready to assume full investigative duties next year.
- The National Assembly approved a restructuring that dismantles the central prosecution and creates separate bodies for indictment and investigations, ending prosecutorial oversight of police probes.
- Lee denounced senior officers who aligned with the Dec. 3, 2024 martial-law attempt and vowed to secure political neutrality under reinforced democratic control.
- He outlined institutional changes that include abolishing the Interior Ministry’s police bureau and strengthening the National Police Commission’s authority.
- Lee urged a shift to “smart” policing that uses artificial intelligence and tighter interagency cooperation to counter voice phishing, deepfake cybercrime, dating violence, stalking, and narcotics, with integrated investigation, treatment, and rehabilitation.