During a National Assembly audit of the Chungbuk Police Agency, lawmakers criticized the delayed investigation into former Cheongju City Councilor Choi Young-jung, who faces charges of child sexual exploitation, as well as the inadequate initial response to a murder case at a karaoke bar in Cheongju.
The handling of Choi's case emerged as a major issue during the audit held on October 20 at the Chungbuk Provincial Office. Police received a complaint from the parents of the victim in February but did not conduct a search until July, five months later, leading to widespread criticism of their sluggish investigation.
Democratic Party lawmaker Lee Kwang-hee stated, "The police's delayed investigation left the case unattended for four to five months after the complaint, resulting in the loss of crucial evidence and the golden time for investigation." He added, "The suspect replaced his key evidence, his mobile phone, during this time and instructed the victim to delete evidence such as conversation records." He emphasized, "How can such a lax investigation be acceptable? Accountability must be demanded from the investigative team involved."
Jung Chun-sang, a lawmaker from the Justice Party, also criticized the police, saying, "When the parents reported the case in February, it should have been properly investigated, but it wasn't until July that a search was conducted, and the suspect was only questioned three months after the report." He pointed out that the police waited for the suspect to submit evidence voluntarily after claiming he would have a private company conduct a forensic examination.
In response, Chungbuk Police Chief Park Jong-seop acknowledged, "It seems that the investigation was not conducted from the perspective of the public," and stated that strict measures would be taken based on the results of the ongoing internal review.
The audit also highlighted the poor initial response by police during the murder case at the Cheongju karaoke bar that occurred in May. Officers withdrew from the scene after finding the door locked, only to discover the body an hour and a half later.
Democratic Party lawmaker Yoon Geon-young remarked, "It is embarrassing that the prosecution was able to uncover the motive for the crime, which the police failed to do during four rounds of questioning of the suspect." He added, "This incident has revealed the shortcomings in the police's initial response and investigation, and moving forward, the police must respond decisively and boldly to regain public trust."
In light of the ongoing criticisms regarding investigative shortcomings, Chief Park expressed regret, stating, "I apologize for the investigation not being conducted properly from the perspective of the public," and assured that misconduct would be dealt with strictly in the future.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.