Police Respond to Oh Se-hoon's Claim of Blue House-Ordered Investigation: Police State No Procedural Violations Found

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] The police have denied any violation of investigative procedures in relation to Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, who is accused of violating the Public Official Election Act over his 'Pi City remarks.'

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, which is investigating Mayor Oh's case, stated on the 6th, "This is an ongoing investigation following a complaint from a civic group," adding, "The interview with the Mapo District Office employee was conducted with the individual's consent at a convenient location for fact-checking purposes, and there was no violation of procedures such as the Criminal Procedure Act."

They further explained, "Interviews with witnesses and others are conducted as legitimate voluntary investigations in accordance with the Criminal Procedure Act and investigation guidelines," and "Since the Mapo District Office employee was unaware of the content, no further investigation was conducted."

Earlier, Mayor Oh held an online briefing at City Hall on the same day, protesting "against the public security police conducting illegal investigations," and said, "Looking at the investigation process, including excessive searches and seizures and violations of the Criminal Procedure Act, there are suspicions that the police's planned investigation was ordered by the Blue House." He claimed that the witness interview conducted by the police on the 3rd at a coffee shop inside Mapo District Office, targeting a public official who previously worked in the Seoul City Facilities Planning Division, was carried out in violation of the Criminal Procedure Act and Crime Investigation Rules.

Mayor Oh pointed out that investigations should, in principle, be conducted within the police station, and if conducted outside, prior approval from the head of the relevant police station must be obtained. He also stated that the investigation location, arrival time, and process should be recorded, and statements should be documented, but the police violated all these procedures, according to Mayor Oh.

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