The Police Investigation Review Committee's First Meeting... Will LH Real Estate Speculation Also Be Discussed?

Establishment of National Forensic Service and 18 Metropolitan Police Agencies
Advising and Recommending Key Investigation Policies
Reviewing Appropriateness of Closed Case Inspections

The first meeting of the Police Investigation Review Committee held on the 13th at the police station in Migeun-dong, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul.
[Photo by National Police Agency]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] The "Police Investigation Review Committee" (Investigation Review Committee), an external control device for police investigations, was officially launched on the 13th. Attention is focused on whether the committee will hold related discussions amid a large-scale investigation into real estate speculation cases triggered by the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH).

The National Police Agency's National Investigation Headquarters (NIH) appointed members of the Investigation Review Committee and held its first meeting at the police headquarters in Seodaemun-gu on the morning of the same day. It was reported that the meeting discussed the future direction of the committee's operation.

The Investigation Review Committee was formed by integrating the existing "Police Investigation Policy Committee," which was established to reflect public opinion on investigation policies in line with the adjustment of investigative authority and the launch of the NIH, and the "Investigation Review Application Review Committee," which handled objection cases. It will be installed not only at the NIH but also at 18 provincial police agencies nationwide.

The first Investigation Review Committee consists of 19 members, including Seo Bo-hak, a professor at Kyung Hee University Law School, as chairman, 16 external experts from academia, the legal community, and the media, and three internal police members including Lee Hyung-se, the NIH's Investigation Planning Coordinator. The committee will deliberate on ▲ advice and recommendations on major investigation policies ▲ review and opinion presentation on review application cases or internal objection cases ▲ appropriateness of inspection results on closed cases such as non-prosecution decisions ▲ and other matters referred by the Commissioner General of the National Police Agency, the head of the National Investigation Headquarters, or the chairman.

In contrast, the Prosecutor's Investigation Review Committee, launched in 2018 ahead of the police committee, has drawn public attention by issuing recommendations on major cases. Representative examples include the recommendation to suspend the investigation into Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong's alleged illegal propofol use case at the end of last month, and the recommendation last July to not prosecute and suspend the investigation into Prosecutor Han Dong-hoon regarding the Channel A media collusion allegations. Although it has no legal binding force, it has served as a mechanism to ensure the objectivity and fairness of investigations by having external experts review the investigation process of cases that raise public suspicion or attract social attention.

Given the police's lack of prosecution authority, the Police Investigation Review Committee is expected to focus discussions on the establishment of investigation policies and the investigation process. In particular, since it can review cases closed by the police, it holds considerable authority in examining the appropriateness of police investigations at the final stages. Discussions related to the ongoing large-scale investigation into real estate speculation allegations, currently led by the NIH, are also anticipated.

An NIH official said, "Basically, the Investigation Review Committee can look into cases closed without prosecution," adding, "Investigations related to LH may also be discussed in the final stages."

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