South Korea's Lee tells new crime agency to investigate without favoritism
In short
President Lee Jae-myung told South Korea's new Serious Crime Investigation Agency on Oct 6 to investigate the crimes of the powerful and wealthy without regard to faction or party. Speaking at a cabinet meeting at the Blue House, he said the prosecution had disappeared into history and that investigative and indictment functions are now split between the new agency and the Prosecution Service. He also warned that political power must never again abuse investigative or prosecution functions.
Read the full story 2 min read
President Lee Jae-myung on Oct 6 called on South Korea's newly launched Serious Crime Investigation Agency to investigate the crimes of the powerful and wealthy strictly and without regard to faction, party or social status. He made the remarks at a cabinet meeting at the Blue House. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
Lee said the prosecution had disappeared into history and that investigative functions and indictment and maintenance-of-indictment functions had been split between the Serious Crime Investigation Agency and the Prosecution Service, with the investigation agency moved from the Justice Ministry to the Interior Ministry. He described the reorganization as a historic decision by the people. [ 2 , 4 , 6 ]
The acting chiefs of the two agencies attended the cabinet meeting for the first time since the agencies launched on Oct 2, Seoul Economic Daily reported. [ 2 ]
The president said the basic task of investigation is to detect crimes and assign corresponding responsibility, but that it is equally important not to create wronged people, citing the principle that ten criminals may be missed before one innocent suspect is created. He warned that political power must never again abuse, sway or prevent investigative and prosecution bodies from doing their work. [ 2 , 4 , 6 ]
He said the prosecution had accumulated enormous power since the government was established and that this power began to be abused, to the point where the state pinned crimes on individuals, drawing public anger. Crimes committed using state-granted authority are far more serious than crimes by private individuals, he said. [ 2 , 4 , 6 ]
Kyunghyang Shinmun reported that Lee told Jeon Jong-min, the agency's deputy chief and acting head, that citizens sometimes doubt whether justice exists in the country, saying the strong are spared and the rich are spared while those without power can turn from victim into perpetrator. [ 6 ]
Maeil Business reported that at the same meeting Lee ordered a swift response to recent hacking of financial institutions, saying public concern was large after indications that artificial intelligence had been used in some attacks. [ 4 ]
Why it matters
The two agencies were created on Oct 2 by splitting the prosecution's investigative and indictment functions, and the president's instruction sets expectations for how the new bodies will use their powers. Because the Serious Crime Investigation Agency now sits under the Interior Ministry rather than the Justice Ministry, the change moves the institutional home of major-crime investigation. The documents give no details on staffing, budget or how specific cases will be handled.
Key facts
- President Lee Jae-myung told the Serious Crime Investigation Agency to investigate the crimes of the powerful and wealthy strictly and without regard to faction or party. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- He made the remarks at a cabinet meeting at the Blue House on Oct 6. [ 2 , 4 , 6 ]
- Investigative functions went to the Serious Crime Investigation Agency and indictment and maintenance-of-indictment functions to the Prosecution Service; the investigation agency was moved from the Justice Ministry to the Interior Ministry. [ 2 , 4 , 6 ]
- The acting chiefs of both agencies attended the cabinet meeting for the first time since the agencies launched on Oct 2, according to Seoul Economic Daily. [ 2 ]
- Lee cited the legal principle that ten criminals may be missed before one innocent suspect is created. [ 2 , 4 ]
- Lee said the prosecution had abused its power and that public anger led to the split, adding that abuse of state authority is more serious than crimes by private individuals. [ 2 , 4 , 6 ]
- Lee also ordered a swift response to recent hacking of financial institutions where AI use was detected, Maeil Business reported. [ 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- President Lee Jae-myung called on the Serious Crime Investigation Agency to investigate without regard to faction, party or social status, targeting the powerful and wealthy. [ 1 , 2 , 4 , 5 , 6 ]
- He made the remarks at a cabinet meeting at the Blue House on Oct 6. [ 2 , 4 , 6 ]
- Investigative functions and indictment and maintenance functions were split between the Serious Crime Investigation Agency and the Prosecution Service, and the investigation agency was moved from the Justice Ministry to the Interior Ministry. [ 2 , 4 , 6 ]
- Lee said the prosecution had disappeared into history and described the reorganization as a historic decision by the people. [ 4 , 6 ]
- He said political power must never again abuse, sway or prevent investigative and prosecution bodies from doing their work. [ 2 , 4 , 6 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the president gave additional instructions on hacking of financial institutions at the same meeting Only Maeil Business reported this instruction; no other document mentions it.
- Details of the cabinet meeting, including its start time and the full list of attendees The documents report the date and location but no schedule or attendance list; Yonhap's dispatch carried only a headline with no readable body text.
- The exact date on which the prosecution service ceased operations and the scope of the reorganization Seoul Economic Daily alone states the two new agencies launched on Oct 2; the other documents describe the prosecution as having disappeared into history without giving a date.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Yonhap issues a breaking-news alert on the president's instruction to the Serious Crime Investigation Agency. [ 1 ]
- Seoul Economic Daily and Korea Economic Daily publish breaking reports on the remarks; Seoul Economic Daily notes the agencies' acting chiefs attended the cabinet meeting for the first time since their Oct 2 launch. [ 2 , 3 ]
- Maeil Business publishes a fuller account, including the split of prosecution functions and the president's instruction on financial-sector hacking. [ 4 ]
- Asia Economy publishes a breaking headline on the remarks. [ 5 ]
- Kyunghyang Shinmun publishes the president's remarks to Jeon Jong-min, deputy chief and acting head of the agency. [ 6 ]