Police Launch Investigation into Jeong Soon-shin for Alleged Absence from National Assembly Education Committee

The police have launched an investigation into lawyer Jeong Sun-shin, who did not appear at the National Assembly hearing related to his son's school violence case.

On the 19th, according to a comprehensive report by Asia Economy, the Yeongdeungpo Police Station in Seoul has begun investigating lawyers Jeong Sun-shin and Song Gae-dong on charges of violating the Act on Testimony and Appraisal at the National Assembly (National Assembly Testimony Act). This case, filed by nine members of the National Assembly Education Committee from the Democratic Party, including Assemblyman Kim Young-ho, was reported to the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office on the 31st of last month and was confirmed to have been transferred and received by the police last week.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 31st of last month, the Education Committee requested lawyer Jeong to appear as a witness at the "Hearing for the Investigation of the Truth about Jeong Sun-shin's Child's School Violence and the Establishment of Measures against School Violence," but he submitted a letter of absence citing "illness and investigation of a criminal case" and did not appear at the hearing. Lawyer Song, who represented Jeong's son in the administrative lawsuit to cancel the disciplinary action related to school violence, also did not appear on the same day.

In response, Assemblyman Kim and others argued that under the National Assembly Testimony Act, a witness may refuse to take an oath or testify only if there is a concern that they may be subject to criminal prosecution, indictment, or a guilty verdict, but if summoned as a witness, they must comply. They claimed that the reasons given by lawyer Jeong do not constitute a legitimate excuse for absence.

According to the National Assembly Testimony Act, if a witness fails to appear without a valid reason, they may be punished with imprisonment of up to three years or a fine ranging from 10 million to 30 million won.

Assemblyman Kim and others also requested cooperation by submitting the complaint and asking for the investigation to be concluded within two months from the date of receipt and for the results to be reported in writing.

Due to lawyer Jeong's absence, the hearing was postponed to the 14th, but on that day as well, Jeong expressed his intention not to attend citing illness. Jeong's wife and son, who were also selected as witnesses, did not appear citing "severe stress." Assemblyman Kim and others are considering filing complaints against these three individuals under the same charges.

Meanwhile, the police investigation into lawyer Jeong is also underway at other police stations. Since last month, the Seodaemun Police Station has been investigating a case in which the Committee for the Protection of the Common People’s Livelihood (Seominwi) filed a complaint against lawyer Jeong on charges of falsifying official documents and obstruction of official duties by deception. Seominwi alleges that Jeong deliberately concealed the school violence-related lawsuit involving his son during the personnel screening process for the head of the National Police Agency and also filed a complaint against Police Commissioner Yoon Hee-geun.

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