Police Uncover Hidden Corruption and Arrest Revenge-for-Hire Ringleader

National Police Agency Selects 14 Recipients of Special Performance Bonuses
Uncovering Corruption Including Redevelopment Association Bribery
Yangcheon Police in Seoul Strictly Punish Mastermind Behind Revenge-for-Hire Case

After a thorough investigation spanning one year and eight months, the police, who successfully uncovered the full extent of a corruption case involving a redevelopment association president and others, will receive special performance bonuses totaling 170 million won. The police announced plans to actively identify investigators who achieve outstanding results, aiming to firmly establish a performance-oriented organizational culture.

The National Police Agency announced on the 13th that it held a Special Performance Bonus Review Committee and selected 14 cases (with total bonuses amounting to 177 million won). Notably, four individuals including Hwang Kiseop, Team 6 Leader of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crimes Investigation Unit at the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency, who successfully investigated the redevelopment association bribery case and other corruption cases, will each receive a bonus of 15 million won.

Seodaemun-gu Police Agency, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

This case occurred in a large-scale redevelopment zone with over 3,000 association members. The investigation took place over one year and eight months amid vast amounts of data and complex, intertwined interests. Team Leader Hwang Kiseop emphasized, "Although there were strong protests from association members during the investigation, we did our utmost to uncover the substantive truth."

The investigation team recalled as the most memorable moment an incident where an elderly couple in their 70s expressed their gratitude. They said, "We might be able to live in a new apartment before we die," conveying their appreciation for the police's anti-corruption investigation.

The special performance bonuses were awarded not only in the field of eradicating corruption, but also to those engaged in areas with a high public impact, such as strict crackdowns on illegal private lending, prevention of phishing, investigations into revenge service agencies, and apprehension of secondary perpetrators and those spreading false information. The bonuses will be finalized and paid following a week-long process of detailed merit verification and other procedures.

The Yangcheon Police Station in Seoul recently investigated a highly publicized revenge-for-hire case. Five members of Violent Crimes Team 5, including Inspector Lee Byunghun, disguised a gang member as an employee at a delivery agency, illegally leaked as many as 1,200 personal information records, and apprehended five individuals, including the mastermind behind a series of revenge acts such as smearing filth at people's doorsteps. Of these, four, who faced more serious charges, were detained, and the crime was strictly punished for causing public anxiety.

The police's efforts to prevent secondary harm in the aftermath of social disasters were also noteworthy. Led by Inspector Lim Junghyun at the main headquarters, a team of six intensively investigated secondary harm and the spread of false information related to the Sewol ferry disaster and the Itaewon crowd crush, following the launch of a dedicated secondary harm investigation unit. They arrested two individuals who had persistently spread baseless criticism or false information. These were the first detentions resulting from investigations into secondary harm related to the two disasters.

Yoo Jaeseong, Acting Commissioner General of the National Police Agency, emphasized, "We will continue to actively identify and reward public officials who achieve outstanding results," and added, "We will firmly establish a performance-oriented organizational culture."

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