Lee says he is prepared to “declare war on violent crime” ... orders formation of a government-wide joint response body

[Financial News] President Lee Jae-myung said on the 15th, “Recently, there have been successive cases of casualties from relationship-based crimes, as well as heinous crimes such as knife rampages,” and called on relevant government agencies to “swiftly draw up extraordinary measures with a grave sense of crisis and the resolve to declare war on violent crimes, including relationship-based crimes committed by family members, romantic partners, colleagues and others, and indiscriminate crimes targeting members of the public at large.”
At the Senior Presidential Aides Meeting he chaired at Cheong Wa Dae that day, President Lee said, “The public’s anxiety is very high. These crimes, which threaten the lives of innocent citizens, are a very serious problem that jeopardizes not only individual victims but the safety of society as a whole.”
President Lee said, “Moreover, since the victims of these crimes are mainly women and other vulnerable people, more careful and targeted measures are needed. In particular, we should establish something like a government-wide joint response body dedicated to this and first thoroughly examine whether there have been any gaps in existing measures.” He instructed officials to do so.
He also said, “We need to check whether victim-protection equipment is working properly and whether the management in the field of high-risk groups likely to commit crimes, such as people wearing electronic monitoring anklets, is being properly carried out—and whether it is indeed being carried out properly. Based on an assessment of the situation, I would like you to carefully develop tailored preventive measures for each level of risk, as well as effective ways to protect victims.”
He added, “We also need to further strengthen on-site response capabilities in preparation for emergencies. I hope you will actively pursue a major reinforcement of personnel, organizational structures and equipment.”
President Lee said, “There must not be even the slightest lapse in protecting the lives and safety of the public. I hope we will put in place a robust system for thorough crime prevention, rapid on-site response, and seamless victim protection and support. We must bring to bear every means available to our government.”
[email protected] Choi Jong-geun Reporter