[2022 National Audit] Anyang District Chief: "Kim Geun-sik Re-arrest Case Warrants Requested After 3 Supplementary Investigations"

Re-arrested Child Sex Offender Kim Geun-sik
Photo by Incheon Police Agency

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] Kim Seong-hoon, head of the Anyang branch of the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office, appeared at the National Assembly audit on the 18th and explained the process leading to the recent re-arrest of child sex offender Kim Geun-sik, stating, "The prosecutors' office, which received the case transferred from the police last year, requested supplementary investigation, and the police conducted additional investigations three times during the process."

At the Legislative and Judiciary Committee audit held at the National Assembly that day, Kim responded to a question from Rep. Kwon In-sook of the Democratic Party of Korea about the delay in the investigation of the case reported in 2020.

Kim also said, "The case was finally transferred to the prosecutors' office (Anyang branch) in July," adding, "Since it was a very old case and the complaint was filed after a considerable amount of time had passed, the investigation was difficult."

He continued, "I ask for your understanding that we barely managed to meet the schedule by doing our best until the end, and I take seriously the criticism that 'couldn't it have been done better?' and will do my utmost to ensure that the final investigation proceeds without any setbacks."

In response, Rep. Kwon said, "The Ministry of Justice and the prosecutors' office announced a comprehensive management plan on October 14 after Kim Geun-sik's release, and when it became known that Kim was permitted to enter the residential facility of the Legal Protection Welfare Corporation located in Uijeongbu, the local community in Uijeongbu was thrown into an uproar," and questioned, "Wasn't he suddenly arrested because the residents' opposition grew after the release decision had already been made?"

She criticized, saying, "It is infuriating that the minor sexual assault case was not properly handled in a timely manner and seems to have been used to shield the embarrassment of the Ministry of Justice and the prosecution," and added, "Seeing the legal administration overturned overnight to handle this shows that procedural justice was not properly implemented."

Earlier, the Anyang branch had arrested Kim Geun-sik one day before his release on charges of forcibly molesting a minor under 13 years old in 2006 (violation of the Act on Special Cases Concerning the Punishment, etc. of Sexual Crimes). He had been serving a 15-year prison sentence at Anyang Prison for sexually assaulting 11 minors in the Seoul metropolitan area from May to September 2006 and was scheduled to be released the day before. The investigation began when another victim, who learned of Kim Geun-sik's serial sex crimes through media reports, reported to the police in December 2020.

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