[2025 Audit] Acting Police Chief: "No Presidential Office Directive in Lee Jinsook's Arrest"

Yu Jaeseong, acting commissioner of the National Police Agency, stated on October 17 regarding the arrest of former Broadcasting and Communications Commission Chairperson Lee Jinsook, "The investigation was conducted in accordance with the law and due process."

Former Chairwoman Jin-Sook Lee of the Korea Communications Commission is speaking to reporters as she is escorted to the Yeongdeungpo Police Station in Seoul on the 2nd. Photo by Yonhap News

During a National Assembly Public Administration and Security Committee audit that day, Acting Commissioner Yu responded to a question from Assemblywoman Dalhee Lee of the People Power Party, who asked, "Did anyone from the presidential office directly order the arrest of the former chairperson?" by saying, "There was no such directive."

Assemblywoman Lee criticized, "It is extremely rare, if not unprecedented, in the era since democratization for the physical freedom of a figure in opposition to the administration to be so harshly restricted," adding, "President Lee Jaemyung took office while his own trials have been delayed due to multiple charges. What do you think the public will say about this?"

Assemblywoman Park Sumin of the People Power Party pointed out, "Over the course of two months, arrest warrants were issued in rapid succession, accumulating in number, and then executed. This should be seen as a premeditated arrest."

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