SEOUL, Aug. 20 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung said Thursday that "uninterrupted reforms" are needed to root out rule-breaking and unfairness and set the nation on a path to continued development.

Lee made the remark during a meeting with his senior aides at Cheong Wa Dae, saying no policy can be effective if the public perceives it to be more beneficial to break the rules than to keep them.

"That is why it is ever more necessary to pursue uninterrupted reforms that correct the rule-breaking, unfairness and abnormalities that weigh heavily on the lives of the people," he said.

"If by doing so, the solidarity and trust of the community as a whole can be strengthened, the path to an irreplaceable Republic of Korea will also become more solid," he added, referring to the newly minted slogan for his administration.

As an example of tangible change, Lee cited the work of an interagency task force that helped significantly reduce the number of voice phishing crimes.

He called for particular attention to acts disrupting the economic order, such as cornering the market, collusion and stock price manipulation, and other offenses impacting people's lives, such as digital sex crimes, drugs, serious accidents and public-sector corruption.

hague@yna.co.kr

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