Slow-moving probe of Rep. Kim Byung-kee draws fire at police audit

A police investigation into independent lawmaker Kim Byung-kee — a former member of the Democratic Party of Korea — that has dragged on for more than a year came under sharp criticism at a parliamentary audit Monday, with lawmakers questioning whether police were deliberately stalling to avoid upsetting those in power.

At a National Assembly audit of the Korean National Police Agency held at the agency's headquarters in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Sang-sik raised the issue of delays in several major police investigations and asked pointedly about the Kim case. "I am very cautious given that he is a fellow lawmaker, but why is the Kim Byung-kee case taking so long?" Lee said. "Could it be that police are watching which way the political wind blows?"

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's public crime investigation unit has failed to reach any conclusion more than a year after receiving a complaint against Kim. Prosecutors also declined to seek an arrest warrant that police had requested, citing insufficient investigation. The Seoul agency reportedly asked its own investigative review committee last month to extend the investigation by one month, saying prosecutors had demanded extensive supplementary work.

Lee also invoked President Lee Jae Myung's recent remarks. "President Lee Jae Myung said not long ago that even those in power must be investigated strictly," he said. "Police have now become the organization with the greatest authority, responsibility and mission among all state institutions — will they still be looking over their shoulders?" He added that he had heard the National Investigation Headquarters overruled a Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency proposal in April to separately refer the core charges first.

National Investigation Headquarters Chief Hong Seok-ki explained the delays by saying there had been 13 separate allegations against Kim and that the headquarters had directed supplementary investigation and overseen a process of follow-up work based on reports from the Seoul agency.

People Power Party lawmaker Kang Myung-gu, who leads his party's side on the administration and security committee, also took aim at the prolonged investigation. "Even the police investigative review committee told them to wrap it up within a month, but police couldn't meet that deadline and extended the investigation again," Kang said. "What a warm and considerate police force — for a prominent ruling-party lawmaker."

Kang went further, saying police were proceeding at a leisurely pace in cases involving Democratic Party figures while detaining People Power Party Rep. Kim Jae-seop for 16 hours during the national audit period. "The public suspects police of conducting a biased investigation — harsh toward the opposition and lenient toward the ruling party," he said.

Acting Commissioner Kim Jong-cheol pushed back. "I cannot agree with that," he said. "Police are conducting investigations without any political consideration."

Lee also turned to the case of Bang Si-hyuk, chairman of Hybe, whom police referred to prosecutors after one year and nine months of investigation. "It seemed like an enormous investigation given the intense public attention, but it ended with a meager conclusion," Lee said. He added that he had heard police had insisted on referring the case on charges of violating the Capital Markets Act, while prosecutors believed those charges would be difficult to sustain and wanted to apply general fraud charges instead — and that police had dug in out of pride.

Lee warned that police risked becoming the next target of institutional reform. "If police fail to investigate properly at this critical juncture and lose the public's trust, they may one day face the same fate as the prosecutors' office — which has been effectively dismantled," he said. He urged police to involve legal experts in complex and important cases and to bring in skilled prosecutors through special recruitment.

Acting Commissioner Kim said in response that police would "investigate strictly and by the book, regardless of the social status or position of the victim."

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's investigation team is expected to complete the supplementary work prosecutors demanded by the end of this month and then decide whether to reapply for an arrest warrant against Kim.