Yoon Hee-geun, Commissioner of the National Police Agency, "Stalking Crimes... Responding by Establishing a Police-Prosecutor Consultative Body"

Emergency First Aid and Detention Cell Utilization
Comprehensive Investigation of Non-Prosecution Stalking Cases Conducted

Prosecutor General Lee Won-seok is visiting the Seoul Seodaemun-gu Police Agency on the 19th and greeting Police Chief Yoon Hee-geun. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] Yoon Hee-geun, Commissioner of the National Police Agency, stated on the 19th regarding the Sindang Station clerk murder case, "We will once again review and improve the crime response system for socially vulnerable groups."

Commissioner Yoon expressed his condolences, saying, "I pray for the deceased's soul and extend my deepest sympathy to the bereaved family who lost a precious family member due to this unfortunate incident." He emphasized, "Stalking crimes are ugly and malicious offenses that destroy the victim's daily life and cause psychological pain. The police will immediately implement policies that can be enforced without legal amendments to strengthen protection for stalking victims."

As an immediate policy, Commissioner Yoon announced, "We will actively utilize emergency measures and detention in police custody (Provisional Measure No. 4) allowed under current laws." This is a blueprint to alleviate public concerns about women's safety. He also said, "We will conduct a full investigation of all stalking cases nationwide that have already been dismissed." This is to re-examine whether there is a risk of retaliation by suspects or the necessity of victim protection measures to prevent recurrence of incidents like this. Regarding the scale of the full investigation, Yoon said, "There are about 400 cases in Seoul. The exact number nationwide is not yet known, but we have instructed provincial police agencies to begin identifying them."

Commissioner Yoon also mentioned plans to establish a consultative body with the prosecution concerning stalking crimes. He said, "The Supreme Prosecutors' Office will form a consultative body with our National Police Agency, and at the regional level, local prosecutors' offices and police stations will create similar bodies to closely collaborate on handling provisional measures or warrants when similar incidents occur. This has already been communicated with the Prosecutor General." Additionally, Yoon stated, "We will implement victim safety measures more actively and refine the checklist to accurately assess risk levels."

Regarding plans to push for legal amendments, Commissioner Yoon said, "We will participate in the legislative discussions of relevant ministries and actively present opinions to enable stronger victim protection." He specifically added, "We will submit opinions to upgrade penalties for violations of emergency measures from mere fines to criminal punishment." Recently, the Ministry of Justice is pursuing the abolition of the non-prosecution clause under the Stalking Punishment Act and the introduction of offender location tracking devices, while the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family is working on enacting a Victim Protection Act.

On investigations related to Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Lee Jun-seok, former leader of the People Power Party, Commissioner Yoon maintained the existing stance that investigations are ongoing without political considerations. Regarding the recent notification from the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency to the prosecution that the charge of bribery by a third party against Lee Jae-myung is recognized, he said, "The legal judgment was made based on statements from related parties collected during supplementary investigations and objective evidence." About Lee Jun-seok, who was summoned for questioning on the 17th, Yoon explained, "Whether there will be additional appearances or when the case will be closed will be comprehensively reviewed and decided by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency."

Regarding the controversy over delayed investigations into the second "Nth Room" case, Commissioner Yoon said, "The investigation team is making meaningful progress." However, he added, "There are procedural issues between the cyber investigation team and the women and youth team, and practical reviews are underway."

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