Police Investigate 12 Cases of Power Abuse in Apartments and Large Buildings... Including Assault, Obstruction of Business, and Coercion

Summons of Persons Involved in 'LG Electronics Recruitment Corruption'
Financial Services Commission Raids "In Consultation with Prosecution"

Commissioner Lee Yong-pyo of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. [Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Following the death of apartment security guard the late Choi Hee-seok, the police have launched a special reporting period for ‘gapjil’ (abuse of power) incidents in apartments and large buildings, with a total of 21 reports received so far.

On the 8th, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Commissioner Lee Yong-pyo stated at a press briefing, “Excluding reports resolved through agreements or misunderstandings, we have initiated formal investigations into 12 cases.”

Since the 25th of last month, the Seoul Police Agency has been operating a special reporting period for gapjil incidents in apartments and large buildings. Commissioner Lee explained, “The ultimate goal is not punishment, but to raise social awareness, eradicate gapjil behavior, and use this as an opportunity to strengthen institutional shortcomings.” Among the types of reports under investigation, assault accounted for the highest number with six cases, followed by obstruction of business with three cases, and coercion with three cases. All 12 individuals currently booked are related to apartment incidents.

Commissioner Lee emphasized, “Surprisingly, the reporters of these incidents come from diverse backgrounds,” adding, “There are reports from residents, management office staff, and others. We will conduct thorough investigations and take action based on the results.”

The investigation into LG Electronics’ alleged hiring irregularities is also ongoing. On the 15th of last month, the police conducted a surprise raid on LG Electronics’ Korea Sales Headquarters HR team and cloud servers, securing related materials and booking one employee at the time. Commissioner Lee said, “We executed search warrants on the Korea Sales Headquarters and the aptitude testing agency, and are currently analyzing the secured materials. HR team personnel are also being summoned for questioning. Hiring irregularities at large corporations are a serious matter, and we will conduct a thorough investigation to properly clarify the facts.” However, the exact timing of the hiring irregularities has not yet been identified.

Regarding the recent police raid on the Financial Services Commission (FSC) to obtain materials related to a specific company’s stock manipulation case, which led to protests from the FSC, Commissioner Lee explained, “The investigation targets and crime periods differ between the FSC’s investigation and ours,” adding, “We are currently coordinating with the prosecution regarding the investigation of the same company by both the prosecution and the police.”

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