Prosecutors' Office Requests Disciplinary Action for Lawyers Observing Search in 'Police Commissioner Bribery' Allegation

Government Gwacheon Complex, Corruption Investigation Office./Photo by Corruption Investigation Office

The High-ranking Officials Crime Investigation Division, currently investigating allegations of bribery involving a senior police officer affiliated with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, has filed disciplinary charges against lawyers who observed related search and seizure operations.

On the 7th, the Public Officials Corruption Investigation Unit 3 (Chief Prosecutor Song Chang-jin) announced that during the investigation of the bribery allegations against the senior police officer, they discovered grounds for disciplinary action against lawyers from law firm A, which had a legal advisory contract with Daewoo Industrial Development Corporation. They applied to the Korean Bar Association to initiate disciplinary proceedings on the same day.

The investigation unit stated that these lawyers engaged in legal activities by participating in the search and seizure procedures at the residences of key suspects, including Lee Sang-young, chairman of Daewoo Industrial Development, without submitting a power of attorney during the search and seizure conducted by the investigation unit. This constitutes a violation of Article 29-2 of the Attorney-at-Law Act (prohibition of legal representation without submission of a power of attorney).

Furthermore, despite it being clear that defending Chairman Lee and executives, who are under investigation for breach of trust and other charges, would harm the interests of Daewoo Industrial Development, the lawyers simultaneously represented the company, participated in the chairman’s seizure procedures, and submitted written opinions as legal representatives of the executives, which was deemed a conflict of interest. This is considered a violation of Article 22, Paragraph 1, Item 5 of the Attorney’s Ethical Code (restriction on acceptance of cases) and Article 24, Paragraph 1 of the Attorney-at-Law Act (duty to maintain dignity), constituting grounds for disciplinary action according to the investigation unit.

The investigation unit explained that the violation of the Attorney-at-Law Act and the Attorney’s Ethical Code by these lawyers delayed the investigation process, which amounts to obstruction of justice, and therefore strict measures by the Bar Association are necessary. This was the background for the disciplinary application.

The investigation unit is currently probing allegations that Kim, a police superintendent affiliated with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, received bribes amounting to hundreds of millions of won from Daewoo Industrial Development in exchange for suppressing an investigation while he was assigned to the Gangwon Police Agency in the first half of last year.