Kim Min-seok, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, attended the party's first meeting of the police reform task force and called for controls over the police to root out what he cited as the "six major ills," including "closing ranks to protect their own," "covering up cases," "unauthorized case closures," "evidence concealment and fabrication," "leaks of investigative information," and "invasions of privacy."
At the first meeting of the Democratic Party of Korea's police reform task force held at the National Assembly on the afternoon of the 1st, Kim said, "Just as there is no such thing as going too far when it comes to safety, I hope you will draw up a thorough police reform plan from the perspective that there is absolutely no excess in addressing the public's worries and anxieties, public order, and the prevention of violent crimes."
Kim then asked lawmakers Kim Nam-hee and Lee Hae-sik, who are leading the task force, to actively reflect the public's demands and steer the police reform task force. Kim said, "We asked you to serve as Director General after considering whether you could directly and fully reflect the public's demands without adhering to the usual Yeouido playbook, based on your awareness of the issues and the various public demands you hold."
The police reform task force includes Directors General Lee Hae-sik and Kim Nam-hee, as well as lawmakers Lee Ki-heon, Lee Joo-hee, Lim Mi-ae, and Kim Dong-a. External members are Kim Young-sik, professor in the Department of Police Administration at Soonchunhyang University, Kim Hye-jung, head of the Korea Sexual Violence Relief Center, attorney Kim Kyu-hyeon, attorney Jeon Da-un, and attorney Jeong Ji-ung, who will contribute to crafting the reform plan. Inside the party, lawmakers Lee Sang-sik and Lim Ho-seon, both former police officers, will serve as advisors.
Kim also mentioned the police's "six major ills" and stressed the need to put in place effective controls to eradicate them. Kim said, "Closing ranks to protect their own, covering up cases, unauthorized case closures, evidence concealment and evidence fabrication, leaks of investigative information, and invasions of privacy can be seen as the six major ills," adding, "A range of measures should be pursued to the fullest extent, including expanding external audits to uproot them all, strengthening grounds for investigators' recusal, reinforcing the duty to explain to victims, toughening legal liability for poor investigations, and strengthening the protection of personal information and privacy."
Kim added, "When I was prime minister, I asked the police to come up with a police reform plan, but no proposal emerged that was satisfactory," and said, "The president has also emphasized the importance of police reform several times, so I hope the police reform task force will achieve results that the public can be satisfied with."