Half of Seized LH Employees' Phones Are 'Empty'... Possible Setback in Securing Smoking Gun

Police, Minbyun, and Others Conduct Search and Seizure One Week After Allegations Raised
Half of Seized Smartphones' Conversations and Call Records Deleted
Smartphone Records Crucial for Securing 'Smoking Gun' Evidence of Speculation
National Police Agency to Resume Digital Forensics with Headquarters Equipment

It has been revealed that text messages and call records on mobile phones seized from LH employees suspected of land speculation in the new town were deleted. / Photo by Channel A

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Ju-hyung] Among the mobile phones seized by the police from 13 employees of the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) suspected of land speculation in the 3rd phase new towns of Gwangmyeong and Siheung, Gyeonggi Province, half are reportedly so-called 'empty cans.' The police investigating the speculation allegations against LH employees planned to secure a 'smoking gun' through digital forensic analysis of the mobile phones.

According to a report by 'Channel A' on the 15th, the police are currently conducting digital forensics on the mobile phones seized from the 13 LH employees suspected of land speculation.

Digital forensics refers to the process of collecting crime clues and evidence remaining on digital devices such as desktops or smartphones using computer engineering technology.

The problem is that half of the mobile phones seized from these employees were found to be in a practically 'empty can' state, with call and text records deleted. In particular, the digital records on the phones have been deleted multiple times, making recovery through digital forensics difficult.

As a result, concerns are emerging that the police investigation into the speculation allegations against LH employees may face setbacks.

On the 9th, the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crime Investigation Unit of the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency conducted a search and seizure at the LH headquarters, Gwacheon Uiwang Project Headquarters, and Gwangmyeong Siheung Project Headquarters in connection with the investigation into the 'LH executives and employees' speculation allegations in new towns.' / Photo by Yonhap News

Earlier, on the 9th, the police conducted a search and seizure at the LH headquarters and imposed travel bans on related suspects. This was a forced investigation carried out one week after the People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy and the Lawyers for a Democratic Society (Minbyun) first raised the speculation allegations.

On that day, starting from 9:30 a.m., the police searched three locations: LH headquarters in Jinju, Gyeongnam, the Gwacheon-Uiwang Business Headquarters (Gwacheon), and the Gwangmyeong-Siheung Business Headquarters (Gwangmyeong), as well as the residences of the 13 LH employees, securing computer hard disks, employee mobile phones, and electronic documents.

Among these, the mobile phones were reported to be one of the most important pieces of evidence to secure the 'smoking gun.'

The key to this speculation allegation is to prove whether some LH employees used their official positions to speculate based on undisclosed information to the public. To clarify this, text and call records exchanged with acquaintances and family members could serve as decisive evidence.

Therefore, the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency plans to send the employees' mobile phones to the National Police Agency headquarters, which has the latest forensic equipment, to conduct additional digital forensics.

Additionally, the police plan to summon and investigate the 13 LH employees and 2 retirees as early as this week, and are reportedly accelerating investigations into public officials and city council members accused of speculation besides the LH employees.

Meanwhile, a Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency official emphasized that the report claiming that more than half of the mobile phones are 'empty cans' with deleted call and SNS chat records is inaccurate, stating, "The police are conducting normal analysis." He added, "Some phone models require specific forensic programs due to technical reasons related to data extraction, and these are being handled by the National Police Agency equipped with the appropriate forensic software."