Seoul Police Chief Go Beom-seok Says "About 300 Personnel to Be Added to Investigative Departments in Second Half"; Case Involving Lawmaker Kim Seung-won Assigned to Jurisdictional Police Station

[Financial News] Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Commissioner Go Beom-seok said that the agency would add about 300 personnel to investigative departments through staffing adjustments in the second half of the year, one month before the revised Criminal Procedure Act, centered on separating investigations and indictments, takes effect.
At a press briefing held at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on the 7th, Commissioner Go was asked about preparations for the revised Criminal Procedure Act. He said, "The National Office of Investigation sets the broad framework for the system, and we draw up the operating plan. The first thing we are preparing for is that investigators are feeling pressure in their work, so we are planning to add about 300 personnel to investigative departments in the second half of the year through staffing adjustments to prepare for the workload."
When the revised Criminal Procedure Act takes effect on the 2nd of next month, prosecutors’ direct supplementary investigations will be abolished, and the system will shift to one in which the Public Prosecution Office requests supplementary investigations from the police. The National Police Agency announced at a follow-up measures task force meeting on the 12th of last month that dedicated units for requests for supplementary investigations would be established at its headquarters and at metropolitan and provincial police agencies, but it did not disclose the size or organizational structure of each agency.
Regarding the overlap in jurisdiction over financial and corruption crimes with the Serious Crime Investigation Agency, which will be launched next month, Commissioner Go said, "This is not something the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency can decide on its own," adding that it was awaiting a decision from the National Office of Investigation.
The Serious Crime Investigation Agency will investigate serious crimes including corruption, economic crimes, defense-industry procurement crimes, drug offenses, insurrection and foreign-exchange crimes, and cybercrimes. The Seoul Regional Serious Crime Investigation Agency will have 1,089 personnel and operate joint investigation divisions for voice-phishing crimes, financial crimes, and virtual assets. Its jurisdiction will substantially overlap with cases handled by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Anti-Corruption Investigation Unit and Financial Crime Investigation Unit.
Regarding the comprehensive review of closed missing-person cases, launched after a missing-person case in Jeju was falsely closed, Commissioner Go said, "We have reviewed about 10,000 of the roughly 90,000 cases, but have not found any falsely closed or otherwise erroneous cases. We will accurately examine the remaining roughly 80,000 cases as well. Accuracy is more important than speed."
He also provided updates on several major investigations. Two complaints filed on the 4th against Kim Seung-won, a candidate for justice minister, are scheduled to be assigned to the jurisdictional police station later that day. Commissioner Go said, "We are investigating only the matters stated in the complaints, while the legal review will be conducted not only by the assigned unit but also at the agency level." Three additional complaints have been filed against candidate Yong Hye-in, bringing the total to five.
The investigation into allegations involving lawmaker Kim Byung-gi and his son is "in its final stages," he said. Regarding the possibility that the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s Metropolitan Investigation Unit could exceed the one-month period recommended by the investigation review committee, the agency said, "It does not appear likely." Because the one-month recommendation period overlaps with the Chuseok holiday, a conclusion is expected as early as before Chuseok.
The investigation into allegations surrounding the appointment of Hong Myung-bo, former head coach of the national football team, by the Korea Football Association (KFA) is being conducted extensively against dozens of individuals following a search and seizure of the KFA office on the 6th of last month. Investigators are also analyzing the seized materials. Regarding an additional summons for KFA Chairman Chung Mong-gyu, Commissioner Go said, "There are no special plans at present."
In the defamation and insult case involving Starbucks Korea, three cases were consolidated and the company’s headquarters was searched and seized on the 5th of last month. In the case involving Jaseng Hospital of Korean Medicine for allegedly violating the Special Act on the Prevention of Insurance Fraud, investigators searched and seized materials from five locations, including the Jaseng Medical Foundation, and are analyzing the evidence. The investigation into allegations that National Agricultural Cooperative Federation (NACF) Chairman Kang Ho-dong received money or valuables also includes cases for which the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (MAFRA) separately requested investigations.
Regarding the rise in the rate at which prosecutors reject arrest warrants following the adjustment of investigative powers between prosecutors and police, Commissioner Go said, "The matters for which prosecutors did not request warrants were judged necessary when reinterpreted under the law. If our views do not align with those on the ground, we will apply again, and since we are presenting our views in accordance with the law and regulations, the matter should be coordinated, should it not?"
Commissioner Go, who took office on the 3rd, presented "basics and principles" as his inaugural message. At the briefing, he reiterated, "Public trust in the police has fallen significantly because of the Jang Yoon-gi case and the Jeju missing-person case. It is more important not to do my job incorrectly than simply to do it well and work hard."
[email protected] Seo Ji-yoon Reporter