Police officials accused of receiving money and entertainment in exchange for covering up a fraud case involving TV personality Yang Jung-won, a former Pilates instructor, have been sent to trial. The officer in charge was found to have changed Yang's status from "suspect" to "reference witness," removing her from the scope of the investigation.
The Financial and Securities Crime Joint Investigation Division of the Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office (Chief Prosecutor Shin Dong-hwan) said on the 20th that it indicted without detention Senior Inspector Song, who had led the investigation team at Gangnam Police Station, on charges including bribery, abuse of authority, and leaking official secrets, and indicted without detention Inspector Lee of the Korean National Police Agency on charges including arranging bribery.
According to prosecutors, Yang's husband, a person surnamed Lee, was introduced to Senior Inspector Song through Inspector Lee and asked for help handling his wife's case. Song and Inspector Lee are accused of receiving luxury scarves and other valuables, as well as entertainment at nightlife establishments worth several million won, in gratitude for quashing the case and for additional requests.
Prosecutors also released the call details between Song and Yang's husband. Song said, "It will wrap up well next week," and "I already decided not to refer it for indictment, so I told them to finish quickly," and Yang's husband replied, "Oh, my wife's case?" and "Thank you, hyungnim. Let's have a meal next week," was found.
Song and Inspector Lee were also found to have told Yang's husband, "When we questioned (Yang), we personally escorted her, and we took care to switch her from a suspect to a reference witness." As Yang was changed from a suspect to a reference witness, the complainant did not even have the chance to file an objection to the non-referral decision, was found.
Song was found to have pressured a junior officer handling another fraud case involving Yang to close the case quickly. That case too was halted with a decision to suspend investigation due to a reference witness's unavailability or a non-referral disposition.
Prosecutors believe that Song, in connection with a total of five cases including Yang's, received valuables and entertainment worth about 8 million won on six occasions from Aug. 2023 to Feb. this year in return for favors.