'Taxi Driver Assault' Incident Involving Lee Yong-gu... Opposition Demands "Dismissal of Personnel Line and Apology to the Public from Moon"

Seobeomsoo "Asked for false testimony with 10 million won... National Police Chief must also take responsibility"

After being summoned for investigation on charges including instructing evidence destruction following the 'taxi driver assault' incident, Lee Yong-gu, Deputy Minister of Justice, is leaving the Anti-Corruption and Public Crime Investigation Unit of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in the early morning of the 31st.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jun-yi] Amid the acceptance of the resignation of Deputy Minister of Justice Lee Yong-gu, who is under investigation for the 'taxi driver assault incident,' the People Power Party demanded an apology from President Moon Jae-in and the immediate dismissal of those responsible for personnel verification, stating that "all responsibility lies with the Blue House." Additionally, lawmaker Seo Beom-su, a former police officer, claimed that the police likely knew in advance that the former deputy minister was a candidate for the head of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) and covered up the incident, insisting that the Commissioner General of the National Police Agency must take responsibility and step down.

Kim Ki-hyun, acting party leader and floor leader of the People Power Party, strongly criticized the former deputy minister at an emergency meeting on the 4th, saying, "The immorality, anti-democratic nature, and unconstitutionality of this administration have been clearly proven," and added, "All responsibility lies with the Blue House. President Moon Jae-in should properly apologize to the public."

The former deputy minister, whose resignation was accepted the previous day, was reported to the police last November for grabbing the collar of a taxi driver who woke him up while he was intoxicated. The police closed the case as an internal investigation, citing the victim's unwillingness to press charges.

However, after the former deputy minister took office, the assault was belatedly revealed, raising suspicions of a police cover-up. A police fact-finding team and prosecutors launched investigations. Recently, a taxi black box video showing the former deputy minister verbally abusing and grabbing the taxi driver's neck was released through the media, bringing renewed attention to the case.

In response, Acting Leader Kim pointed out, "This is a 'public sentiment-reversing nuisance incident' that clearly shows how fabricated and hypocritical the Moon Jae-in administration's pro-commoner pretense was." He demanded that along with President Moon's apology, Kim Oe-sook, the chief personnel officer responsible for the former deputy minister's personnel verification, Lee Kwang-cheol, the senior secretary for civil affairs, and others be immediately dismissed and referred for investigation.

Lawmaker Seo Beom-su of the People Power Party, a former police officer, emphasized that the police who closed the investigation bear significant responsibility and insisted that Commissioner General Kim Chang-ryong must take responsibility and resign. In an interview with CBS Radio's 'Kim Hyun-jung's News Show,' Seo responded to the question, "Should it be seen that the former deputy minister demanded false testimony by offering a settlement of 10 million won?" by saying, "Yes, it should be seen that way," and questioned, "How would the taxi driver have known the details specifically?" He strongly criticized, "10 million won is generally a large amount as a settlement money," calling it "bribery."

Seo believed that the police covered up the incident considering that the former deputy minister was a candidate for the CIO head. He pointed out, "The police place the highest importance on reports from the first police box or district police station," and added, "They ignored such reports and simply categorized it as a minor assault, closing the internal investigation." He further said, "The head of the criminal division and others must have known that he was a candidate for the CIO head," and "It is quite possible that the police commissioner general was also informed."

He emphasized, "Those responsible, especially the police leadership, who conducted an investigation that caused public distrust, must be held accountable," and stressed that Commissioner General Kim must take responsibility and resign.

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