Suspicions of 'Hamyeong Investigation' and Investigation Authority Adjustment... Police Face 'Test' in Investigating Election Offenses for General Election

National Police Agency Holds Plaque Ceremony for 'Election Crime Investigation Situation Room'
24-Hour Crackdown System Launched
137 Illegal Election Acts and 210 People Cracked Down Until This Day
"Maintain Neutral Stance... Responsible Investigation"

On the morning of the 13th, in front of the Election Crime Investigation Situation Room for the 21st National Assembly election at the Seoul Seodaemun-gu Police Agency, Min Gap-ryong, Commissioner of the National Police Agency, and other attendees are holding a plaque ceremony. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] The police are launching a full-scale investigation into election-related offenses just over two months before the 21st general election. This marks the first test for the police to prove their investigative capabilities following the National Assembly's passage of the prosecution-police investigation authority adjustment bill.

On the morning of the 13th, the National Police Agency held a plaque unveiling ceremony for the 'Election Offense Investigation Situation Room' at the police headquarters in Migeun-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. The situation room was simultaneously opened at 274 police stations nationwide, including the National Police Agency, local police agencies, and police stations. In addition, the 'Election Offense Investigation Task Force,' which has been organized and operated at all police stations since December last year, was reinforced to strengthen intelligence gathering and crackdowns on election-related crimes.

As of that day, the police had detected 137 cases of illegal election activities nationwide and apprehended 210 individuals. Among them, five were booked and sent to the prosecution with a recommendation for indictment, and investigations are ongoing for 146 others. By type, 'false election statements' accounted for the largest number with 62 people, followed by vote-buying with 40, early election campaigning with 27, and election interference by public officials and distribution of printed materials with 10 each. The police have defined five major election crimes as ▲vote-buying ▲false election statements ▲illegal propaganda ▲illegal mobilization of groups ▲election violence, and plan to apply a zero-tolerance policy, strictly punishing offenders regardless of political party or rank.

National Police Chief Min Gap-ryong is attending the '21st National Assembly Election, Election Offense Crackdown Measures Meeting' held at the National Police Agency in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul on the 13th. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

In particular, the police appeared mindful of the 'Blue House-ordered investigation suspicion' related to former Ulsan Mayor Kim Gi-hyeon, stating their position to "maintain neutrality and comply with legal procedures to prevent unnecessary misunderstandings such as allegations of election interference or biased investigations."

This election offense investigation is drawing attention as the first large-scale investigation involving police nationwide after the passage of the prosecution-police investigation authority adjustment bill (amended Criminal Procedure Act). During the National Assembly discussions, the prosecution identified election cases as one of the major incidents that could experience investigative gaps due to the adjustment of investigative authority. Since the statute of limitations is only six months, if cases nearing expiration are transferred to the prosecution, it would be difficult to correct errors in police investigations, and there are many controversies over under- or over-investigation, necessitating judicial oversight, according to the prosecution. In response, the police have stated they are conducting investigations considering the statute of limitations for election cases, and even after the adjustment of investigative authority, the prosecution can directly handle transferred cases, so there is no concern about investigative gaps. For the police, this election offense investigation is an opportunity to dispel a series of concerns.

National Police Agency Commissioner General Min Gap-ryong emphasized, "We will do our best to ensure that this election is conducted more cleanly and fairly than ever before," adding, "Through responsible investigations based on expertise and objectivity, we will fulfill our role and responsibility as a central investigative agency trusted by the public."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.