Lawyer Who Reported 'Police Coercive Investigation Video' to Media... Prosecutors Forwarded with Indictment Opinion

Seoul Yeongdeungpo Police Station
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Yoo Byung-don] A lawyer who reported police coercion during an investigation to the media has been sent to the prosecution with a recommendation for indictment.

On the 7th, the Yeongdeungpo Police Station in Seoul announced that on the 2nd, they sent lawyer A, who is suspected of violating the Personal Information Protection Act, to the prosecution with a recommendation for indictment.

It is known that lawyer A provided footage used in a broadcast report during the oil depot explosion incident in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi Province, last May. The report covered allegations that the police conducted coercive interrogation during the questioning of foreign worker B, who was a suspect at the time. The footage contained human rights violation elements such as the investigator speaking informally and using profanity, as well as forcing statements.

Immediately after the report, the police who investigated the case filed complaints against lawyer A and the reporter from the broadcasting company at the Yeongdeungpo Police Station. The reason was that the footage was handed over to the media without voice modulation or mosaic processing, and the reporter broadcast it as is.

On the 4th, lawyer A expressed opposition to the police decision through his blog. He claimed, “The footage was recorded by the police according to the Criminal Procedure Act and obtained from the Uijeongbu District Prosecutors' Office Goyang Branch through the information disclosure procedure.”

Meanwhile, the National Human Rights Commission had judged that the police coerced a confession from B during the investigation process. The commission also recommended that the police chief take disciplinary action against the staff and provide job training related to suspects.

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