South Korean Police Say HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk Will Be Referred to Prosecutors This Week

Police in South Korea say they are preparing to refer HYBE Chairman Bang Si-hyuk to prosecutors this week, bringing a yearlong investigation into alleged fraudulent unfair trading toward a decision point.

National Police Agency chief Hong Seok-ki said the handling of Bang’s case, including whether police would seek his detention, would become clear when the referral takes place. Police applied for an arrest warrant in the spring, but the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors’ Office rejected the request twice, citing insufficient support for the allegations and a failure to complete additional investigative work. The investigation then stalled for about three months.

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I think we will refer him this week.

Hong also said police expected to conclude soon an investigation involving independent lawmaker Kim Byung-kee. He said the case had been awaiting consideration after an application to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s investigative review committee, and that a conclusion would come shortly.

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The decision on handling him, including whether to seek an arrest warrant, will also come then.

The police chief provided an update on a nationwide review of more than 310,000 missing-person cases launched after a Jeju officer was accused of closing a disappearance case without proper investigation. Police had reviewed about 15,100 cases by the time of the briefing. Hong said no major problems had yet been reported and that the 298 cases handled by the officer in question had been fully reviewed. Jeju police planned to provide more details at a briefing the following day.

The cause of death in the disappearance case remained undetermined because of the condition of the body, Hong said, adding that investigators were considering all possibilities. He acknowledged criticism that police manuals had not worked properly, saying managers, including himself, had failed in supervision as well as individual officers. He also said police would prepare measures to support the morale of investigators who continue to work according to law and procedure.

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I deeply regret that, as seen in the Jang Yun-ki and Deputy Officer Bu cases, supervision by managers, including myself, did not work properly.