Allegations in Baekhyun-dong: 'Central District Prosecutors' Office → Seongnam Branch → Bundang Police Station → Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency' Passing the Buck

Last November, People Power Party's Embezzlement Accusation
"Jurisdictional Investigation" Transferred to Seongnam Branch
"Prosecution-Police Investigation Authority Adjustment" Passed to Police
Free Pass Back to Gyeonggi Nambu Police Agency
Still in Preliminary Investigation Stage After 3 Months

Kim Jin-tae, Chairman of the People Power Party's Special Committee for National Verification, and Representative Kim Eun-hye visited the so-called 'Retaining Wall Apartment' in Baekhyeon-dong, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do on the 2nd to inspect the site. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporters Seongpil Cho, Sehee Jang] It was reported on the 4th that the Seongnam Baekhyeon-dong development suspicion case, which was handed over by the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office on the grounds of "investigation by the competent authority," has been given a 'free pass' by the Seongnam prosecution and police and transferred to the Suwon Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency. It has been confirmed that the Seongnam Branch Prosecutors' Office and the Seongnam Bundang Police Station handed over the case citing the adjustment of investigative authority between prosecution and police and police investigation rules, respectively. Some critics say this is "a shift of responsibility based on unconvincing logic."

According to a comprehensive investigation by Asia Economy, the ‘Bundang Baekhyeon-dong development suspicion’ accusation case, which is said to be a mirror image of the Seongnam Daejang-dong development preferential treatment suspicion, is reportedly still at the preliminary investigation stage at the Anti-Corruption Economic Crime Unit of the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency. A preliminary investigation is an internal inquiry conducted before officially registering a case, corresponding to the stage before a formal investigation begins. Although three months have passed since the initial accusation, there has been virtually no progress in the investigation.

The Baekhyeon-dong development suspicion centers on the fact that the 111,265㎡ site around Baekhyeon-dong 516 was sold in February 2015 to Asia Developer, a real estate development company that recruited a close aide of Lee Jae-myung, then mayor of Seongnam and now the Democratic Party presidential candidate. After the sale, the land use was upgraded four levels from natural green space to quasi-residential area. As a result, excessively high apartment retaining walls were constructed, raising safety concerns. Additionally, the housing units initially planned entirely as private rentals were suddenly changed to about 90% general sale housing, reportedly allowing the private developer to earn around 300 billion KRW in profits.

This case was initially triggered in November last year when the People Power Party accused Lee, who exercised approval authority as the then mayor of Seongnam, of breach of duty at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office. The case was then transferred to the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office and assigned to the Economic Crime Criminal Division, which was in charge of the Daejang-dong suspicion investigation, but was transferred to the Seongnam Branch Prosecutors' Office in the same month. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office explained that this was a measure considering the location of the building related to the case and the residence of the accused.

However, the Seongnam Branch Prosecutors' Office handed the case back to the police. The Seongnam Branch Prosecutors' Office explained, "The Baekhyeon-dong accusation case is, in principle, to be investigated by the police due to the adjustment of investigative authority between prosecution and police." They also said, "Isn't the adjustment of investigative authority achieved because the police are good at conducting investigations?" Due to the adjustment of investigative authority, the prosecution can directly investigate only six major crimes (corruption, economic crimes, public officials, elections, defense projects, and large-scale disasters), and the Baekhyeon-dong accusation case does not fall under these six crimes. However, since the accused was Lee, the then mayor of Seongnam, and the case is an economic crime similar to the Daejang-dong suspicion currently under investigation by the prosecution, the Seongnam Branch Prosecutors' Office's explanation is considered unconvincing.

There are also suspicious remarks about the process and explanation of the Bundang Police Station transferring the case to the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency. It is said that the Bundang Police Station transferred the case to the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency without even reviewing it after receiving it from the prosecution. A Bundang Police Station official said, "It was not under our jurisdiction, so we transferred it immediately." Although this is a measure according to police investigation rules, the fact that it was transferred without review is seen as raising doubts about the willingness to investigate. According to police investigation rules, case transfer is possible "when it is judged appropriate to investigate at another police station or agency, such as when it is necessary to merge with another case." The Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency is currently investigating the similar Daejang-dong suspicion case and is known to have been conducting a preliminary investigation related to the Baekhyeon-dong suspicion even before the accusation.

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