Acting police chief says reinvestigation possible if new facts emerge

Acting Korean National Police Agency Commissioner Kim Jong-cheol responds to questions from Democratic Party lawmaker Yun Geon-yeong during the National Assembly's national audit of the Korean National Police Agency, held at the agency's headquarters in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, on Monday. [Yonhap]
Acting Korean National Police Agency Commissioner Kim Jong-cheol responds to questions from Democratic Party lawmaker Yun Geon-yeong during the National Assembly's national audit of the Korean National Police Agency, held at the agency's headquarters in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, on Monday. [Yonhap]

Lawmakers aligned with the broad opposition pressed the Korean National Police Agency on Monday over its 2022 investigation into allegations involving the child of independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon, during the National Assembly's national audit of the agency by the House Administration and Security Committee.

Rebuilding Korea Party lawmaker Jeong Chun-saeng argued that the investigation had been compromised from the start. "At the time, prosecutors wielded unchecked power, and both the prosecution and the police went in with a determination not to investigate," he said. "It wasn't that prosecutors blocked the police — the police themselves had no will to investigate."

Jeong called on the police to pursue a reinvestigation actively and to launch an internal audit of the officers who handled the original case. Acting Commissioner Kim Jong-cheol said the agency would "consider" reopening the investigation "if new facts or a new complaint or accusation comes to light."

Jeong also pressed Kim on what he described as a double standard. "Why does the police do such thorough work investigating the child of Justice Minister Cho Kuk, but stop everything in front of Han Dong-hoon?" he said. "Would the police investigate an ordinary person who isn't a former prosecutor the same way?"

Kim said it was difficult to answer a hypothetical question, but added that the agency would "make active efforts to uncover the substantive truth so that the public has no cause for concern or suspicion."

Democratic Party lawmaker Yun Geon-yeong also raised allegations that the police had gone easy on Han and called for a full reinvestigation, noting that the original probe had dragged on for one year and eight months. "Didn't the police just stall and let the case languish?" he said. Democratic Party lawmaker Park Ju-min likewise urged the agency to "launch a reinvestigation immediately."


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