President Lee Demands Vigilance Against Crimes Targeting Women, Youth During Power Separation

President Lee Jae-myung has issued a strong directive to government ministries, urging them to maintain robust measures against crimes targeting women and adolescents during the ongoing separation of investigative and prosecutorial powers. The president stressed that ensuring the safety and protection of these vulnerable groups must remain a top priority throughout this transitional period.

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We must ensure there are no gaps in responding to crimes against women and youth during the separation of investigative and prosecutorial powers.

Lee highlighted a concerning trend of increasing reports for relationship-based crimes, including stalking, dating violence, and domestic abuse, noting a 23% surge in related victim reports last year alone. While acknowledging progress in combating digital sex crimes through initiatives like a joint government task force and expanded undercover investigation systems, he pointed out that the actual occurrence of such offenses continues to rise.

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In the case of digital sex crimes like illegal filming and deepfake offenses, while there have been achievements such as a significant increase in arrests... the occurrence of incidents itself is continuously increasing.

The president underscored the critical need for enhanced victim support, protection, and recovery measures, emphasizing that victims of these crimes are predominantly women and youth. He called for swift and decisive initial responses to prevent further harm and facilitate quicker recovery for victims. Lee urged relevant agencies to adopt a "victim-centered, victim-first" approach, implementing all necessary actions with utmost diligence, even if they seem excessive.

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Victims of these crimes are mostly vulnerable groups such as women and adolescents, so we must pay special attention to victim support, protection, and recovery measures.

Furthermore, President Lee called for thorough institutional improvements to prevent any oversight in addressing crimes against women and youth during the power separation process. He also requested meticulous preparation for a forthcoming integrated response plan for illegal websites, ensuring it meets a high standard of public safety and reassurance.

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Relevant agencies should execute all necessary measures from the reporting stage with a victim-centered, victim-first perspective, even if it seems excessive.