Police have launched a forced investigation into two senior officers suspected of leaking confidential investigation information.
The Korean National Police Agency's Major Duty Crime Investigation Unit on Wednesday raided the offices of Officer A, a division chief at the Seoul Songpa Police Station, and Officer B, a division chief at the Suwon Paldal Police Station in Gyeonggi Province, on charges of disclosing official secrets, police said Thursday.
The two are suspected of leaking investigation information while serving as division chiefs at local police stations under the Gyeonggi Southern Police Agency last year. Police believe Officer A received a request from a person involved in a case, then asked Officer B — who was handling that case — for investigation-related information before passing it to outside parties.
Police plan to analyze the mobile phones and related materials seized in the raid to determine how the information was transmitted and the extent of the leak. Investigators are expected to summon the two officers and others involved for questioning soon. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and the Gyeonggi Southern Police Agency have placed both officers on standby leave following the launch of the forced investigation.
Police established a dedicated investigative unit last month to probe serious internal misconduct, including the leaking of investigation information and the concealment of cases. The raid is the first known forced investigation carried out since the unit was launched.
arin@heraldcorp.com
