The police investigating the suspected leak of investigation information related to actor Lee Seon-gyun (48), who died while under investigation for drug use, have launched a forced investigation.
On the 23rd, the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crime Investigation Unit of the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency announced that they had conducted a search and seizure of the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency's Drug Crime Investigation Division and media company A, which had investigated Lee's case, the day before.
During this search and seizure, the police reportedly secured numerous personal electronic devices such as mobile phones belonging to employees of the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency's Drug Crime Investigation Division, as well as materials related to the investigation of Lee's drug use case conducted by them.
The police plan to verify whether investigation information was actually leaked from within the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency to specific media outlets through analysis of the seized items.
Earlier, on the 15th, the Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency received a request from the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency to investigate the circumstances of the information leak.
Considering that it might be difficult to guarantee fairness if the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency conducted the investigation directly, the neighboring Gyeonggi Nambu Provincial Police Agency took charge of the investigation and proceeded with the search and seizure within a week.
A police official stated, "We cannot confirm specific details of the investigation."
Lee's drug use allegations were first reported by the media on October 19 of last year. Lee had been converted to a suspect status on October 14, prior to the report, and was formally booked as a criminal. He was summoned and questioned by the police three times over approximately two months.
Lee was found dead near Waryong Park in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on December 27 of last year, four days after his third police summons.
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