Georgeho, Nominee for Commissioner of Police Agency, "Considering Personnel Action for Superintendent Suspected of External Pressure on Customs Drug Investigation"

On the 29th, Cho Ji-ho, the nominee for Commissioner General of the National Police Agency, stated that he would "consider personnel measures" regarding Cho Byeong-no, the Chief of Suwon Southern Police Station in Gyeonggi Province (Senior Superintendent), who has been accused of exerting undue external pressure related to the customs drug investigation case at Yeongdeungpo Police Station in Seoul.

George Ho, the nominee for Commissioner of the National Police Agency, is speaking at the confirmation hearing held by the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee on the 29th.
[Photo by Kim Hyun-min]

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During the parliamentary confirmation hearing that day, when Yong Hye-in, a member of the Basic Income Party, asked, "Will you take personnel measures against (Senior Superintendent Cho)?", Cho replied, "I will consider it. It is definitely worth thorough consideration."

Regarding the demotion of Police Sergeant Baek Hae-ryong, who claimed to have been pressured during the investigation, from the head of the Criminal Division at Yeongdeungpo Police Station to the chief of the Hwagok District Police Substation at Gangseo Police Station, Cho said, "Since the case is under the concentrated investigation command of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, there is an obligation to report key details to the Seoul Police Agency, but (Sergeant Baek) violated the public relations regulations multiple times." When asked about the necessity of the investigation, he responded, "I understand that Sergeant Baek filed a complaint with the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) and that an investigation is currently underway."

Earlier, Sergeant Baek, while serving as head of the Criminal Division at Yeongdeungpo Police Station last year, exposed that he was pressured by Senior Superintendent Cho, then head of the Community Safety Department at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, to "remove the Customs Service from the press release" during an investigation into collusion between drug syndicate members and customs officials. He filed a complaint with the CIO accusing Cho of abuse of authority and obstruction of the exercise of rights.

Yang Bu-nam, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, pointed out that day, "Some media outlets have raised suspicions that Yongsan was involved in the external pressure on the investigation. The sergeant who raised the issue of external pressure has now been demoted to a district police substation," adding, "I think this might be a second Cha Hae-byeong case."

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