Police Executive Suspended for 2 Months Over Alleged Lenient Investigation of Lee Yong-gu Assault Case

by Lee Gwanju

Published 03 Nov.2021 13:51(KST)

Lee Yong-gu, former Vice Minister of Justice.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] A police official who was in charge of the investigation during the assault incident involving former Deputy Minister of Justice Lee Yong-gu and a taxi driver has been suspended.

According to the police on the 3rd, the National Police Agency held a disciplinary committee last month and imposed a two-month suspension on Mr. A, the former head of the criminal division at Seocho Police Station. Suspension is classified as a severe disciplinary action following dismissal, removal, and demotion.

Three weeks before being appointed Deputy Minister of Justice, on November 6 of last year, Lee was indicted without detention on charges of assault after getting drunk, taking a taxi, arriving in front of his home in Seocho-gu, Seoul, and grabbing the collar of the taxi driver who was trying to wake him up.

The police applied only the charge of assault, which is a semi-public offense, rather than assaulting a driver, and closed the case without booking Lee, citing that the victim did not want to press charges, which caused controversy.