"Forced Testimony of Yangpyeong Official"... Human Rights Commission Files Complaint Against Special Prosecutor's Investigator

Ex Officio Investigation Results Approved and Disclosed
"Investigator's Name Mentioned in Suicide Note"

The National Human Rights Commission has decided to file a complaint against a member of Min Junggi's special prosecutor team on charges of abuse of authority in connection with the death of a Yangpyeong County official. The decision was made after it was found that there were signs of coercive investigation during the process, such as forcing the deceased to make statements.

On the afternoon of December 1, the Commission approved an 82-page report detailing the findings of its ex officio investigation into the death of the Yangpyeong County official at its 22nd plenary meeting.

The Commission decided to file a complaint against one investigator who had been dispatched to the special prosecutor's team and to refer three others for investigation.

Ahn Changho, Chairperson of the National Human Rights Commission, is striking the gavel at the plenary meeting held at the Commission in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 24th of last month. Photo by Yonhap News

The Commission stated that it had secured and reviewed a 21-page diary-style suicide note written by the deceased, which revealed evidence of human rights violations by the special prosecutor's team. The name of the investigator subject to the complaint was also mentioned in the note.

Cho Hyungseok, Director General of Investigations at the Commission, explained, "Based on the deceased's note, we decided to file a complaint against the investigator deemed to have coerced testimony, and to refer two other investigators and the team leader responsible for further investigation." He added, "Expressions found in the note such as 'I said I didn't do it, but they kept telling me to say I did,' 'Say someone ordered you,' 'They're shifting the blame,' 'They're pressing me,' 'They speak informally,' and 'I'm exhausted by the persuasion and coercion' were collectively considered as abuse of authority."

However, it was reported that the person subject to the complaint has denied the allegations.

The Commission also urged Min Junggi, the special prosecutor, to ensure that no human rights violations occur in future investigations. Additionally, it recommended that the chief of Yangpyeong Police Station provide training to the officers involved in the autopsy of the deceased, and advised the Speaker of the National Assembly to include human rights protection provisions when enacting future special prosecutor laws.

Previously, a Yangpyeong County Office official in his 50s, identified as Mr. A, was found dead at his home on October 10 after being questioned by the special prosecutor's team investigating allegations related to First Lady Kim Keonhee. The Commission has been conducting an ex officio investigation to determine whether human rights violations occurred in connection with this case.

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