<기사제목>Police Chief: "No Authority to Vet Jeong Soon-shin Incident"...Verification Responsibility Lies with Ministry of Justice and Presidential Office

Yoon Hee-geun, Commissioner of the National Police Agency, Attends National Assembly Intelligence Committee

Yoon Hee-geun, Commissioner of the National Police Agency, explained regarding the appointment of Attorney Jeong Soon-shin as head of the National Investigation Headquarters and his resignation one day after appointment amid his son's school violence controversy, stating that he "does not have the authority for personnel verification" and that he received a report on the verification results.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 27th, Yoon explained this during his appearance at the National Assembly Intelligence Committee, according to the committee secretaries from both ruling and opposition parties. Yoo Sang-beom, the People Power Party's Intelligence Committee secretary, introduced, "The official position of the National Police Agency during the appointment process of the head of the National Investigation Headquarters is that it does not have personnel verification authority," and added, "They only responded that they received the verification results." Yoo also introduced, "When asked about the Police Agency's prompt apology, the Commissioner responded that as the recommender, he fulfilled his responsibility to the fullest extent."

Regarding responsibility for personnel verification, Yoon Geon-young, the Democratic Party's Intelligence Committee secretary, stated, "Verification is not conducted by the National Police Agency but is first done by the Ministry of Justice's personnel verification team and then by the Presidential Office in the second stage," and conveyed that "the Police Agency responded that it does not have personnel verification authority." Yoo also conveyed, "The Police Commissioner said there was no separate opinion to be given regarding personnel verification and that he reviewed the report stating there were no issues with the verification results."

Regarding the recommendation process, Yoo explained, "There were three candidates related to the recommendation route, and two of them (including Attorney Jeong) were notified that there were no problems in the personnel verification," and added, "After committee deliberation, the Police Commissioner made the recommendation." On prior consultations, he said, "The Commissioner responded that there was only an exchange of preliminary opinions to some extent."