"If You Pay, I'll Close the Case"... Former Korea Customs SJPO Who Took 145 Million Won in Bribes Sent to Trial

Blatant Demands for Bribes from Families of Drug and Customs Offenders
Additional Charges Proven Following Detention and Indictment in February
Prosecution: "Institutional Reforms Needed to Prevent Weakening of Judicial Oversight"

A former Special Judicial Police Officer (SJPO) affiliated with the Korea Customs Service, who received hundreds of millions of won in bribes from suspects in cases such as drug smuggling in exchange for avoiding their detention, has been brought to trial.

On the 9th, the flag of Korea and the prosecution flag flutter in the wind in front of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office building, while Kwak Joong-geun, former Commander of the Special Warfare Command, is reportedly being summoned and investigated by the Special Investigation Headquarters for Martial Law Emergencies. Photo by Huh Younghan

The Second Anti-Corruption Investigation Division of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (headed by Prosecutor Lee Sanghyuk) announced on April 21 that it has indicted former investigation team leader A of the Seoul Customs at the Korea Customs Service, along with two bribe givers, on charges of bribery and accepting bribes under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment of Specific Crimes. In February, prosecutors uncovered part of A's bribery scheme, detained him, and referred him to trial, and have since substantiated additional charges.

Initially, the Korea Customs Service identified evidence that A had demanded 50 million won from the CEO of a clothing import company in exchange for quashing a case, and reported the matter to the prosecution in May of last year. However, after taking over the case, the prosecution conducted its own investigation, including tracking financial accounts, and uncovered the full extent of the bribery, which amounted to hundreds of millions of won.

According to the prosecution’s investigation, A abused his investigative authority as an SJPO to raise funds for cryptocurrency investments. In September 2023, he received 50 million won from Mr. B, the father of a suspect who had been urgently arrested on charges of cocaine smuggling, promising to secure a non-detention investigation and in fact securing the suspect's release.

Furthermore, in December of the same year and in January 2024, he also received 20 million won and 50 million won, respectively, from the families of other suspects in drug-related cases under similar pretenses. He was found to have blatantly demanded cash, threatening that he would dismiss the case entirely if payment was made.

Prosecutors pointed out that this case confirms that SJPOs can arbitrarily abuse their coercive investigative powers in the field.

A prosecution official stated, "Recently, the Public Prosecutor's Office Act, which effectively abolishes the authority of prosecutors to command and supervise SJPOs, was passed, and this is expected to weaken judicial oversight. In order to prevent abuse of investigative power and to protect the rights of the public, there must be sufficient discussion and improvements to case management systems during the future process of institutional design."

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