Police near end of Kim Byung-kee probe, weigh custody decision

By Kim A-rin, The Herald Business

Police said the investigation into independent lawmaker Kim Byung-kee, former floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, is entering its final stage, and that they will decide how to handle his custody after reviewing the key allegations against him.

A Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency official told reporters Sunday that the probe is "currently in the wrap-up phase," adding that investigators would review various matters before determining how to proceed with custody.

The official said the investigation had taken time because "a considerable number of charges and allegations have been raised since the Seoul agency's wide-area investigation unit launched the probe in January, and verifying the facts required time." The official added that multiple suspects were implicated across several charges, which also contributed to the delay, and pledged that "by the time we wrap up, nearly all the allegations will have been resolved."

Asked whether new charges had been added following testimony at the trial of lawmaker Kang Sun-woo on June 26 — in which a witness stated that Kim had received a shopping bag from Seoul city councilman Kim Kyung — the official said it was "not yet at the stage where we can call it a suspected charge," adding that "since the information came out of court, police also need time to establish the facts."

Korean National Police Agency investigation chief Park Sung-joo had previously indicated that the probe would be wrapped up by forwarding as many of the related allegations as possible to prosecutors at once, rather than handling some charges first and continuing the rest of the investigation separately.

The Seoul agency official confirmed Sunday that while investigators had considered prioritizing certain charges, they have now settled on a comprehensive approach. "At the current stage, we are reviewing the direction of making a comprehensive judgment," the official said.

On concerns raised in some quarters that Park's upcoming retirement could disrupt the investigation, the official said the agency "does not see any connection between the investigation chief's retirement and individual cases."