Marking the 70th anniversary of Police Day, President Park Geun-hye on Wednesday urged law enforcement officers to set a road map for securing public order in an era of Korean unification.

“In the long-term view, I hope the police set a road map from now on for national security in preparation for the era of unification,” said Park in a speech delivered at a ceremony in Seoul.

Her remark came as her government has been pushing for a vision of a unified Korea despite inter-Korean tensions building over North Korea’s constant threats to launch a long-range missile and other provocations. Last year, Park established a presidential committee to study ways to achieve the peaceful unification of the two Koreas and to reach public consensus on the issue. Park was touching on the role of the police in the process of an envisioned unification for the first time.

The president also called for strict law enforcement, stressing that maintaining the authority of law is essential for her goal of achieving national reform and economic takeoff.

“I ask you to strictly enforce the law against those who deny liberal democracy and the spirit of the Constitution,” said Park.

Expressing her gratitude to 140,000 police across the country for their efforts in maintaining social security, Park also urged officials to better deal with increasingly sophisticated crimes, such as financial fraud and cybercrimes.

By Cho Chung-un (christory@heraldcorp.com)