▲ President Lee Jae Myung speaks during a meeting with top aides in Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Sept. 3, 2026. (Yonhap)

(ATTN: UPDATES with more remarks in last 2 paras)

SEOUL, Sept. 3 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung on Thursday called on the police to step up internal reform following a legal revision that will transfer prosecutors' investigative authority entirely to the police.

Lee renewed the call during a meeting with his top aides following the recent passage of a revision to the Criminal Procedure Act, which will completely strip the prosecution of all investigative authority, leaving such power solely to the police.

Ahead of the scheduled transition, the police came under public outcry after a police officer on the southern island of Jeju was accused of closing multiple missing-person cases without confirming the safety of those reported missing. Two of them were found dead.

"The police should embark on an internal overhaul and system improvements with a bone-cutting determination in light of recent cases," Lee said. "An overall review should also be carried out to determine whether there are any flaws in the practices and systems used to process cases."

The president pointed out that recent cases of police mishandling exposed a major weak point in the management of public safety, calling for measures to ensure there are no gaps in the protection of people's lives and rights.

"The goal of all reform is to make tangible improvements in people's lives," the president said, instructing officials to establish a trustworthy public safety system.

Lee also zeroed in on apparent loopholes in the distribution of national pensions that unfairly benefit ineligible foreign residents, calling for system reforms.

"Social security systems that run on financial resources pooled by the public should be designed fairly to prevent anyone from unfairly benefiting or being unreasonably disadvantaged," the president said, instructing officials to come up with system reforms.

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