Samhwa Food Union Claims "Police Pressured Submission of Complaint" ... Controversy Over 'Planned Investigation' Expands

Union Reveals at Press Conference "Conspired with Behind-the-Scenes Coordinator and Detailed Script"
Related Evidence Released... Daegu Police Remain Unresponsive to Defamation Allegations
National Police Agency to Search Police Phones and Investiga

Samwha Food labor union officials hold a press conference on the 24th, claiming that the Daegu police conducted a planned investigation.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Park Dong-wook] The labor union of Daegu Samhwa Foods, caught up in the 'fabricated insider whistleblowing' controversy, has claimed that the police investigation into the company is a 'planned investigation' linked to a former executive identified as the mastermind behind the incident.

Moreover, an official from the Korean Federation of Trade Unions (KFTU) Daegu Regional Headquarters testified that they were asked to directly receive a complaint filed in the name of the Samhwa Foods labor union from the police, further fueling the controversy over a targeted investigation surrounding Samhwa Foods, which is expected to intensify.

Attention is focused on how the Daegu Police Agency, currently on the defensive after having its investigation materials seized by the National Police Agency and claiming to have been subjected to 'civilian surveillance,' will respond to these revelations accompanied by evidence.

On the 24th, the Samhwa Foods labor union of the National Food Industry Labor Union Federation held a press conference at a hotel in Dalseo-gu, Daegu, stating, "On January 31, a detective from the Daegu Police Agency visited an official of the KFTU and pressured them to write a complaint in the name of the Samhwa Foods labor union, alleging illegal manufacturing (recycling of returned goods)." The KFTU Daegu Regional Headquarters official also attended the press conference and repeatedly confirmed, "I was asked by the police to receive a complaint in the name of the union chairman."

Union Chairman Kim Seong-guk presented detailed dates and evidence, saying, "When the union refused the request due to concerns about false accusation charges, the police called the union twice more in early February, pressuring them to file the complaint." The KFTU official who received this direct pressure from the police also attended the press conference and acknowledged it.

The January 31 date mentioned by the union comes after the Daegu Seongseo Police Station, which first received the tip-off, closed the case as 'intelligence of no value.' There has been much speculation about why the Daegu Police Agency initiated an investigation into a matter initially dismissed as 'worthless information' by the local police station.

Regarding this, Chairman Kim revealed, "The former executive A, identified as the mastermind, repeatedly mentioned to union members that he would use the police to have the company's CEO arrested and then enter the company as a professional manager promoted by the union to take control of the company," releasing related recordings and text messages.

The union claimed, "This incident originated from a collusion between brokers and police officials aiming to seize control of a 67-year-old local company with hundreds of billions in sales to reap enormous profits," and urged a full investigation into the police officers who led the planned investigation. They also demanded clarification on why the company’s request for an internal investigation into the leak of investigation secrets, submitted to the provincial police inspection office on April 16, was inexplicably halted.

Union Chairman Kim Seong-guk explained the background of this revelation, saying, "Ahead of the adjustment of investigative authority between the prosecution and police, I hope this serves as a starting point for public awareness about how many unjust victims will arise if such an organization is granted the enormous power of prosecution."

In response, the Daegu Police Agency has refrained from commenting on the case, citing the prohibition on disclosing suspect information. At a press briefing with reporters on the 23rd, Daegu Police Chief Song Min-heon dismissed the over-investigation controversy, stating, "The police do not approach investigations with personal emotions. Although I cannot explain every detail regarding the over-investigation controversy, the investigation team did their best following legal procedures with evidence."

Meanwhile, on the 17th, the Daegu Police Agency indicted Samhwa Foods, and on the 19th, Samhwa Foods filed a complaint with the prosecution against three police officers involved in the investigation, including the head of the investigation division, on charges of official secret leakage and dereliction of duty.

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