Regarding the prosecution's return of the arrest warrant request for independent lawmaker Kim Byung-kee, which police filed after investigating for nearly a year, an official at the Korean National Police Agency said, "We find it regrettable."
At a regular press briefing on the 14th, an official at the Korean National Police Agency said, "We fully respect the supplementary investigation the prosecution requested and plan to faithfully supplement it," and stated accordingly.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency investigated for a year into 13 allegations, including preferential hiring of the lawmaker's second son, nomination donations, and illegal election funds, and on the 7th requested an arrest warrant on charges including bribery under the Act on the Aggravated Punishment, etc. of Specific Crimes, breach of duty, and obstruction of business.
However, on the 11th the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office returned the arrest warrant, saying, "Considering comprehensively that the suspect complied with seven summons for questioning and that five months elapsed from the final interrogation of the suspect to the arrest warrant request, the explanation for the necessity of detention is insufficient, and for some charges, evidence needs to be reinforced."
Amid criticism that the police investigation had been sluggish, claims also emerged that the timing of the arrest warrant request was a misstep. An official at the Korean National Police Agency said, "To enhance the completeness of the investigation, we conducted a thorough probe and carefully reviewed the legal principles, which took time," adding, "We have been proceeding with the investigation in consultation with the prosecution."
It is uncertain whether police will reapply for an arrest warrant. An official at the Korean National Police Agency said, "It is an issue to be decided after carrying out the supplementary investigation," adding, "All possibilities are open."