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Officer not prosecuted for destroying son's phone in filming case
๐Ÿ‡ฐ๐Ÿ‡ท South Korea /Crime & Justice

Officer not prosecuted for destroying son's phone in filming case

From Dong-A Ilbo · () Korean

Translated from Korean, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Official statement Outcome reported
  • Police will not prosecute an officer who destroyed evidence by smashing his teenage son's phone.
  • The son is accused of illegally filming a female teacher.
  • The officer will face disciplinary action for violating his duty of integrity.

Police have decided not to prosecute an officer accused of destroying evidence by smashing his teenage son's mobile phone. The son faces accusations of illegally filming a female teacher. While the officer will not face criminal charges for destroying the phone, police confirmed he will be disciplined for violating his duty of integrity as a public servant. The incident came to light during a review of cases involving police personnel and their families, prompted by a separate investigation into alleged police misconduct. Investigators examined the officer's phone, internal messages, and call records of the investigation team but found no evidence that colleagues had assisted in destroying the evidence or that the officer had advised his family to do so. Furthermore, under South Korean law, relatives cannot be prosecuted for aiding in the destruction of evidence. Despite the lack of criminal charges, the Jeonbuk Provincial Police Agency stated that the officer's actions were inappropriate and highly blameworthy for a police official. "Considering that discarding the suspect son's mobile phone was an inappropriate act for a police officer and carries significant criticism, we plan to impose strict disciplinary action," an agency official said. The son's case, where he is accused of illegal filming, has already been sent to prosecutors.

Considering that discarding the suspect son's mobile phone was an inappropriate act for a police officer and carries significant criticism, we plan to impose strict disciplinary action.

โ€” Jeonbuk Provincial Police Agency officialAn official explained the rationale behind the disciplinary action against the officer despite no criminal charges being filed.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dong-A Ilbo in Korean. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.