Interior minister issues second public apology over police misconduct

Minister of Interior and Safety Yun Ho-jung [Yun Chang-bin]
Minister of Interior and Safety Yun Ho-jung [Yun Chang-bin]

Minister of Interior and Safety Yun Ho-jung convened an emergency meeting of senior police commanders Wednesday afternoon in response to a controversy over police concealment of a missing persons case, ordering a thorough investigation into the incident and a comprehensive review of police operational procedures.

In his opening remarks, Yun said that "in Jeju, police notified the family with false information and closed the case, only for the missing person to ultimately be found dead." He added that "another incident of police misconduct and lax discipline has occurred so soon after the Gwangju police corruption case, causing serious public anxiety."

Yun said he was taking the officers' misconduct "very seriously" in his role as the minister responsible for public safety, and bowed in apology alongside the police command, saying he was "sincerely sorry to the people."

Yun had previously issued a public apology on July 16 over a separate controversy in Gwangju, where police were accused of organizationally covering up charges against Jang Yun-gi, a murder suspect whose father was a serving police officer.

"As President Lee Jae Myung has said, police now wield far greater power than before as a result of prosecution reform," Yun said. "The Ministry of Interior and Safety and the Korean National Police Agency will promptly finalize a plan to reform police investigations and report it to the president and the National Assembly."

President Lee described the case of Jang Mi-ran — a Jeju resident reported missing whose body was later found — as "deeply devastating." At Tuesday's Cabinet meeting, he ordered the establishment of a consultative body to discuss police reform. The Democratic Party of Korea also launched a police reform task force headed by Rep. Kim Nam-hee of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee.

"The authority of government derives from the consent of the people, but public anxiety and distrust of the police have reached a dangerous level following recent events," Yun said. He stressed that "with a new criminal justice system set to launch in October, we must push forward with intensive reform measures to restore public trust."

Yun also ordered a comprehensive review of all long-term missing persons cases at every police station nationwide and said those found guilty of misconduct or improper conduct would be held strictly accountable.

"Police work covers many areas that directly affect people's lives — from public safety to protecting the socially vulnerable," Yun said, calling on the command to "thoroughly examine structural flaws that fail to prevent individual misconduct, as seen in this case."

The meeting was attended by acting Korean National Police Agency Commissioner Yoo Jae-sung and all bureau and department heads. The agency reported plans to require missing persons unit supervisors to submit mandatory reports as part of improvements to missing persons investigations. It also presented reform proposals for the investigative system, including strengthening the National Police Commission and establishing a human rights inspection and oversight body for police investigations.

Police confirmed Monday that a body found in Hallim-eup, Jeju, matched the identity of the missing Jang. The Jeju Provincial Police Agency said at a press briefing that day that it had first learned on Aug. 11 that a corporal at the Jeju Western Police Station had falsely closed Jang's missing persons case, and had referred the matter for investigation.


arin@heraldcorp.com