President Moon Jae-in has called on the prosecution and police to work together in investigating widening suspicions that public officials had used insider information to make speculative land purchases in "New Town" cities. 

In a policy report meeting with the Justice Ministry and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety on Monday, Moon stressed related illegalities and practices should be rooted out through the two agencies' cooperation. 

According to presidential spokesperson Kang Min-seok, Moon framed the ongoing probe as the first case requiring close, organic cooperation between the two legal enforcement agencies following a reorganization of their powers. 

The widening probe is set to be managed by the National Investigation Headquarters under the National Police Agency in partnership with other agencies. 

The president’s comments also come amid vocal opposition, including from former Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl, against the ruling bloc’s efforts to further restrict the prosecution’s investigative rights as part of a prosecution reform drive.