Police clear former Yongsan mayor's aide in investigation leak probe

Seoul police have concluded their investigation into a key aide of former Yongsan District Mayor Park Hee-young, who faced allegations of leaking sensitive investigation information. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Anti-Corruption Investigation Unit announced on July 14 that they have decided not to forward the case of the district office employee, identified only as 'A', to prosecutors due to insufficient evidence. 'A' had been accused of leaking official secrets.

The allegations centered on 'A's' actions in 2024, when serving as the policy director at the Yongsan District Office. It was claimed that 'A' provided external parties with a 'investigation trend report' that included details about police cooperation requests. This report was allegedly compiled after police requested the submission of investigation-related materials.

'A' is known to be a close confidant of Park Hee-young, having assisted the former mayor closely during his trial for alleged mismanagement of the Itaewon disaster response. However, sources indicate that the investigation materials in question were not related to the Itaewon disaster itself. Police had previously conducted searches of the Yongsan District Office in October of the previous year and February of this year, seizing records of document transmissions and work computers as part of their inquiry into the alleged leak.