Police seek arrest warrant for Kim Byung-kee after yearlong investigation, editorial says

Police waited a year before seeking an arrest warrant for independent lawmaker Kim Byung-kee, and that delay is at the center of a sharp Hankyoreh editorial.

The editorial argues that an arrest warrant is meant for suspects whose alleged crimes have been established and who pose a risk of fleeing or destroying evidence. If Kim posed such a risk, it asks, why did police wait until now? It says the timing invites criticism that officers delayed the investigation while watching those in power, then pursued a high-profile measure to avoid further scrutiny.

The allegations listed in the warrant are serious. Police accuse Kim of improperly intervening in his second son’s university transfer and employment and helping him receive benefits worth about 67 million won in wages and tuition. The warrant also alleges that Kim knew a former Democratic Party lawmaker had received 100 million won from a former Seoul city council member before the 2022 local elections, tolerated it and helped secure the council member’s nomination.

Other allegations concern Kim’s spouse, who is accused of misusing the Dongjak District Council’s operating expenses, as well as the alleged receipt of Korean Air hotel vouchers and sponsorship money from Shilla Leisure. The editorial says serious allegations require a prompt investigation, but police questioned Kim seven times and then took nearly five months to reach a conclusion after the final interview.

A citizen group that had reported Kim eventually sought a formal investigation review. After the review panel recommended that police handle the case within a month, officers moved to seek detention, the editorial says. It also notes that the warrant omitted what it calls a central allegation, that Kim received a 30 million won political nomination payment. The editorial warns that police will take on greater responsibility from October as the prosecution service is abolished and investigative and prosecutorial powers are separated, and urges the force to rebuild public trust by acting more decisively.