Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Chief: "Investigative Leads Are Needed for Kim Seung-won Sexual-Misconduct Allegations"; Reinvestigation into New-Drug Lobbying at the "Record Review" Stage

[Financial News] Police said Wednesday that it would be difficult to launch an investigation into the sexual-misconduct allegations surrounding Kim Seung-won, a former nominee for justice minister and lawmaker of the Democratic Party of Korea, based solely on allegations without concrete leads. Regarding the new-drug lobbying allegations for which prosecutors previously issued a deferred-prosecution decision, police plan to secure and review materials, including the indictment, before fully launching a reinvestigation.
At a regular press briefing on the 21st, Go Beom-seok, chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, was asked whether police would investigate the sexual-misconduct allegations involving the former nominee. He said, "If an investigation is conducted based solely on allegations, it could become arbitrary," adding, "We are reviewing reports and other materials, but there needs to be a certain amount of material that can serve as a starting point for an investigation." He continued, "If we investigate based only on allegations being raised, no one would be free from investigation."
Indecent assault ceased to be an offense requiring a victim's complaint in 2013, allowing police to investigate without one. Asked whether an investigation could proceed if specific allegations, the time and place, or the person involved were disclosed, or if a complaint were filed, Chief Go answered, "Yes."
Kim resigned voluntarily on the 19th, just 20 days after his nomination, as various allegations continued to emerge, including claims involving new-drug lobbying and a family cooperative. After his resignation, reports emerged that former aides had submitted a petition to the Blue House stating that, at a drinking gathering in 2024, an attendee had complained of being sexually harassed by Kim and that aides had dealt with the matter. Kim's side said the reports were factually inaccurate, exaggerated, or erroneous.
A total of four complaints involving Kim have been filed with Yeongdeungpo Police Station. Chief Go said, "Since not much time has passed, you can consider the investigation to have just begun." He added, "If the case is too complex for the station to handle or involves multiple connected individuals, the relevant department of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and the station will jointly discuss and consider transferring it to an agency with the necessary investigative capacity."
Whether to reinvestigate the new-drug lobbying allegations hinges on securing the prosecution's records. Kim was investigated over allegations that he had solicited the then-head of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in connection with approval of a clinical trial plan for a COVID-19 new drug. Prosecutors acknowledged the allegation that he had agreed to receive 5 million won in donations in return for the solicitation, but issued a deferred-prosecution decision, saying it was difficult to definitively determine that the solicitation was illegal. Yeongdeungpo Police Station has been assigned the case and is reviewing whether to reinvestigate it.
Chief Go said, "We received the indictment, but because some matters are still being tried, we have not received all the records." Police are expected to decide whether to proceed with a full-scale reinvestigation after comprehensively reviewing the indictment, the non-prosecution decision, and publicly available court rulings.
Yeongdeungpo Police Station is also handling the case involving independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon, who was reported for allegedly leaking Kim's prosecution investigation materials. On the 7th, Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Kim Dong-ah filed a complaint with the National Office of Investigation against Han and others on charges of disclosing official secrets and violating the Personal Information Protection Act and the Public Records Management Act. Chief Go said, "The complaint was filed recently, and we have also completed questioning the complainant," adding, "The necessary investigation will proceed according to established procedures."
A decision on whether to reapply for an arrest warrant for independent lawmaker Kim Byung-gi will be made after the supplementary investigation is completed. However, it is expected to take some time before a new warrant application is submitted. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Metropolitan Investigation Division began investigating the case after a civic group filed a complaint last September. On the 7th, it requested an arrest warrant for Kim on charges including bribery and obstruction of business under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. However, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office requested a supplementary investigation on the 11th, saying police had not sufficiently demonstrated the need for detention, citing Kim's compliance with seven summonses and the fact that about five months had passed since his last questioning in April.
Chief Go said, "We are reviewing the items requested for supplementation and are thoroughly investigating the necessary areas." He added, "After completing the requested supplementary investigation, I think we will need to review the matter once again." The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Investigation Review Committee recommended on the 25th of last month that the case be handled "within one month," but the deadline is likely to be delayed because it overlaps with Chuseok. Chief Go said, "It would be difficult to meet the deadline without sufficiently carrying out the requested supplementary investigation."
Meanwhile, police expect their supplementary investigation workload to surge when the amended Criminal Procedure Act takes effect in October. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency will add 352 personnel to related duties through staff reassignment. Chief Go said, "Although the reassignment has reduced the number of riot police personnel, we will manage the situation without problems through prioritization."
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's additional personnel will include 265 for integrated investigations at frontline stations, 29 for women and juvenile affairs, 16 for intelligence, and 13 for criminal investigations. At the agency headquarters, 22 will be assigned to investigation review and seven to cyber investigations. The Korean National Police Agency previously announced that, after deploying an additional 1,907 investigators to investigative departments in the first half of the year, it would assign another 2,100 in the second half. However, most of these personnel increases involve reassigning existing staff rather than hiring new employees, raising concerns about increased workloads in their current duties.

[email protected] Seo Ji-yoon Reporter