Lee Orders Preventive Strategy as South Korea Confronts Violent Crime

President Lee Jae Myung called Friday for South Korea to move more decisively from responding to violent crime after the fact toward preventing attacks by identifying warning signs early.

Lee made the appeal at a pan-government meeting convened to discuss a broad public safety initiative. He said the state must not allow people to feel unsafe in their daily lives and urged officials to approach violent crime with the determination required for an all-out campaign.

The meeting followed a series of serious incidents that have intensified concern about random attacks and violence involving relatives or intimate partners. In one case, several people were injured in a stabbing attack at a building in Incheon, west of Seoul, and one victim was left in cardiac arrest. In another incident, a suspected arson attack at two buildings in southern Seoul injured 19 people, including one seriously.

Public criticism has also focused on whether authorities acted effectively on warning signs before a separate attack. A man was recently arrested after allegedly killing his mother-in-law with a knife and abducting his estranged wife. The case prompted questions about the adequacy of police protection and intervention before violence occurs.

Lee instructed officials to design a crime-prevention system capable of detecting danger signals in advance. He also called for stronger preventive measures and a government-wide action plan intended to make safety improvements tangible in everyday life.

The session brought together officials from nine government bodies. Participants included ministers or vice ministers responsible for justice, gender equality, health, education and interior affairs, as well as representatives of the police. The range of agencies reflected the administration’s view that violent crime prevention requires coordination across law enforcement, victim support, health services, schools and other public institutions.

The policy direction outlined at the meeting places emphasis on prevention and interagency coordination, but the government has yet to detail the specific tools, timelines or accountability measures that would underpin the proposed early-warning system. Those details will be central to assessing how the initiative balances rapid intervention with consistent protection for people who report threats.

For the administration, the immediate challenge is turning a broad public safety pledge into operational measures that can identify risk, protect potential victims and prevent repeat failures. Lee described the action plan as a starting point for a society in which people can feel secure, placing responsibility on participating agencies to produce practical measures rather than rely on emergency responses after harm has occurred.