Son Jeong-min's Family Files Police Complaint Against Friend A, Requests Investigation and Prosecutor's Review?

Accusations of Assault Resulting in Death and Neglect Resulting in Death
Police Postpone Deceased Review Committee Meeting
Prioritize Investigation of Accusation Case

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Jung-yoon] The family of university student Son Jeong-min (22), who went missing and was found dead at Hangang Park, has filed a complaint with the police against Son’s friend, Mr. A. This move appears to reflect their intention to continue requesting police investigations while seeking a judgment on the case from the prosecution.

According to the police on the 27th, Son’s family filed a complaint against Mr. A on the 23rd at the Seoul Seocho Police Station, accusing him of assault leading to death and abandonment leading to death. Son’s father, Son Hyun, wrote on his blog, “I gave a statement for nearly four hours at the police station,” and added, “Please continue to support us as you have so far.”

Son’s family seems to have requested the continuation of the investigation through the complaint after the police showed signs of closing the case by convening the Death Investigation Review Committee (Death Review Committee). According to the Police Agency’s directive on handling death cases, the police chief may convene the Death Review Committee to review whether to close the case or whether additional investigation is necessary in cases where the identity of the deceased is unknown, when the bereaved family raises objections to the investigation results, or when the police chief deems a review necessary. If a decision for reinvestigation is made, additional investigation must be conducted within one month, followed by a re-review by the city/provincial police agency’s Death Review Committee.

On the 22nd, Son Hyun wrote on his blog, “Originally, I was going to try to prevent the police from convening the Death Review Committee by petitioning or calling the relevant departments,” but added, “However, since the police’s will is unwavering and it would not be strange for the committee to be held tomorrow, it seemed meaningless and would only cause more talk, so I decided to move on to the next step.”

After receiving the complaint, the police postponed the Death Review Committee meeting scheduled for the afternoon of the 24th and decided to prioritize investigating the complaint case.

However, unless additional evidence or testimony linking the case to a crime emerges, the complaint case is also likely to be dismissed for reasons such as “no charges.” So far, the police have found no connection to a crime. Therefore, it currently appears difficult to apply the charges of assault leading to death and abandonment leading to death to Mr. A. Assault leading to death refers to acts of assault that cause death, while abandonment leading to death refers to acts where a person legally or contractually obligated to protect someone in need abandons them, resulting in death.

However, if the complaint case is dismissed, it can be subject to the prosecution’s judgment. Due to the adjustment of investigative authority between the prosecution and police, the police can close cases on their own without referring them to the prosecution for reasons such as “no charges,” “lack of prosecution rights,” “not a crime,” or “dismissal.” However, if the complainant or accuser files an objection, the case must be forwarded. In such cases, the prosecutor may request reinvestigation by the police if necessary.

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