Police Transfer to Prosecution Case of 'Gwak Sang-do's Son Receiving 5 Billion KRW Retirement Pay from Hwacheon Daeyu'

Kyung-Gum Joint Investigation Team Meeting Today
Attention on Future Cooperation Amid Investigation Discord Controversy

The son of Assemblyman Gwak Sang-do, who received a retirement payment of 5 billion won from Hwacheon Daeyu Asset Management, is coming out after completing an investigation at the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province on the afternoon of the 8th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] The police have handed over the case of the 5 billion KRW retirement payment received by the son of Assemblyman Kwak Sang-do from Hwacheon Daeyu Asset Management (Hwacheon Daeyu), which was under investigation in connection with preferential treatment allegations in the Daejang-dong development project in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, to the prosecution.

According to the police on the 19th, the dedicated investigation teams from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office and the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency, each investigating the Daejang-dong allegations, held a meeting for consultation at the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul, that morning.

Four members including the head of the investigation department from the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency and four members including the 4th Deputy Prosecutor from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office attended the meeting respectively. At this meeting, both agencies agreed on the necessity of consultation to prevent overlapping investigations and improve efficiency, and decided to hold consultations regularly in the future.

In particular, the police decided to immediately transfer the case related to Assemblyman Kwak Sang-do's son to the prosecution. Earlier, on the 6th of this month, the police applied for a search warrant for Assemblyman Kwak's son, but the prosecution officially notified the police on the 8th, two days later, requesting transfer on the grounds that both sides were investigating the same case.

This consultation between the police and prosecution draws attention as it was arranged amid controversy over 'discord' after both agencies began investigations into the Daejang-dong allegations separately. The day before, Police Commissioner Kim Chang-ryong said at a press briefing, "There are many difficulties being reported from the field regarding some forced investigations," and added, "I hope cooperation will be well achieved through practical consultations."