'190 Billion Won Lost in Suwon Jeonse Fraud... Police Launch Investigation into 134 Cases'

The police investigating the 'Suwon Jeonse Fraud Case' have booked nine individuals, including three landlords and six licensed real estate agents, and have imposed travel bans on the three landlords.

A National Police Agency (NPA) official stated at a regular press briefing on the 16th that a total of nine people have been booked so far in connection with the 'Suwon Jeonse Fraud' case. The nine include three landlords, among them the key figures Mr. Jeong and his wife, and six licensed real estate agents or brokerage assistants. The three main suspects, Mr. Jeong, his wife, and their son, have been banned from leaving the country. As of the previous day, there are a total of 134 complainants in this case, with the claimed deposit damage amounting to approximately 19 billion KRW. The NPA official explained, "We have not yet interrogated the suspects and are currently investigating the complainants. Together with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, we are reviewing the housing ownership status and lease contract details of the landlords, and we will conduct a swift and strict investigation."

Regarding the 'private education cartel and corruption,' the official said, "We are investigating a total of 75 cases, including 15 cases reported by the Ministry of Education, intelligence received independently by the police, and cases reported directly without going through the Ministry of Education." He added, "Among the 75 cases, six are classified as cartel-related, and 69 are administrative issues described as corruption. If we count the number of individuals involved, the figure would be much higher, possibly involving dozens or more."

Earlier, the Ministry of Education revealed that 24 teachers who participated in the College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) and mock exams organized by the Korea Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation sold exam questions to well-known private academies. Among them, four were sued for obstruction of business, and 22 (with two overlapping) were referred for investigation on charges including violations of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act. Additionally, 21 private education companies and instructors who purchased the questions from these teachers were also referred for investigation on the same charges. Separately, on the 11th, the Police Agency’s Major Crimes Investigation Division conducted a search and seizure at the well-known entrance exam academy Sidae Injae located in Daechi-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

The police also stated that further investigation is needed regarding suspicions that customs officers at Incheon Airport were involved in the large-scale smuggling of methamphetamine by a multinational organization. An NPA official said, "The search and seizure were conducted to verify the circumstances under which a large quantity of drugs entered through customs, but we have not yet booked any specific individuals for investigation." He added, "We need to determine whether the customs system performs 100% checks on arrivals and departures or if there is a selective screening process. We are currently analyzing seized materials such as CCTV footage, staff records, and information about passengers who were on the same flight at that time."

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