MBC 'PD Note' Conducts In-depth Investigation into the Current State of Police Investigations Ahead of Independent Investigative Authority

MBC 'PD Note' will broadcast 'Investigative Authority Independence D-31: Shaking Police, Conditions for Trust' on Tuesday, September 1st at 10:20 PM. Ahead of the point where the prosecution's direct investigation will be abolished and the police will take charge of general investigations due to the amendment of the Criminal Procedure Act on October 2nd, the program conducted an in-depth investigation into the current state of police investigations.

Errors in Police Investigation and the Crisis of Trust

The program highlights the reality of inadequate police investigations through the case of Ms. Jang Mi-ran, who was found dead in Jeju three months after disappearing. The officer in charge arbitrarily closed the case with a false report that they had made contact with the missing person, but it was revealed that there were no actual call records. Additionally, it delves into allegations of investigation distortion and coercive investigation through the case of Ms. Son Sol-bin, known as the 'first Gwangju dating violence case.' Although the court acquitted Ms. Son of the core charges, she had already suffered eight months of wrongful imprisonment.

Abuse of Investigation Termination Power and Internal Corruption

The program also tracks the reality where the police's power to terminate investigations is traded for money. An officer belonging to the Uijeongbu Police Station was sentenced to 6 years in prison and a fine of approximately 250 million won on charges of receiving hundreds of millions of won in bribes from a loan fraud broker, Mr. Kim, to settle a case. As a result, the victim, Mr. Cha Chul-ho, is suffering, including taking on 62 million won in debt. Furthermore, it exposes the practice of 'protecting one's own' within the organization through cases where veteran investigators attempting to monitor internal corruption were instead subjected to retaliatory personnel transfers.

Experts point out that there are limits to a method that relies solely on the autonomous goodwill of the police. The broadcast discusses the necessity of establishing independent external control bodies, such as the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) in the UK, and seeks the direction in which the police should move forward.

Source: MBC Press Release

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