Kim Kwang-ho, Seoul Police Chief: "Lee Jun-seok to be summoned soon... Conclude as quickly as possible"

The main suspect El of the 2nd n-room identified

Former People Power Party Leader Lee Jun-seok [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] Kim Kwang-ho, Commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, announced on the 13th that he plans to summon former People Power Party leader Lee Jun-seok, who is under investigation for allegations of sexual bribery, in the near future.

At a press briefing that morning, when asked about the matter, Commissioner Kim said, "It is difficult to disclose specific details," but confirmed the plan. He added that the attendance schedule is being coordinated and the police intend to summon him for questioning as soon as possible. Although Commissioner Kim did not explicitly mention a date, there is speculation within and outside the police that Lee Jun-seok may be summoned for questioning on the 16th.

Regarding the court's dismissal of the search warrant for Kim Cheol-geun, former chief of staff to the party leader, Commissioner Kim drew a clear line, saying, "There is no disruption to the investigation." Earlier, the police had applied for a search warrant for Kim Cheol-geun's mobile phone at the end of last month. Subsequently, the prosecution requested the warrant from the court, but it was reportedly dismissed. Kim Cheol-geun is legally a witness in relation to the false accusation charges against Lee Jun-seok.

When asked whether the investigation could be completed within this month before the statute of limitations expires, Commissioner Kim responded, "It is a matter that can only be known after (Lee Jun-seok) appears and is questioned." Under current law, the statute of limitations for prostitution related to sexual bribery allegations is five years, and for bribery mediation is seven years. The sexual bribery timing claimed by Kim Sung-jin, CEO of iKist, the accuser in this case, dates back to 2013, which has already passed the statute of limitations. Regarding bribery mediation, the last gift during Chuseok was in September 2015, and the statute of limitations expires this month. Commissioner Kim said, "If Lee Jun-seok properly appears, we will try to conclude the case as quickly as possible."

Meanwhile, Commissioner Kim revealed that the whereabouts of 'L', known as the main suspect in the case called the 'Second n-room', are "currently identified." The police have formed a dedicated investigation team with 35 officers across six teams to investigate this case. Commissioner Kim explained, "So far, seven victims have been identified, and there is progress in tracking some accomplices and other aspects of the investigation."

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