"Yongsan or No Explanation" vs "Baseless"... Customs Drug Investigation Pressure Allegation Hearing 'Clash'

At the 'Customs Drug Investigation External Pressure Allegation Hearing,' Kim Chansu, Presidential Secretariat Administrative Officer (former Yeongdeungpo Police Station Chief), and Police Superintendent Baek Haeryong (former Yeongdeungpo Police Station Criminal Division Chief) gave completely opposite testimonies regarding the mention of Yongsan.

Chief Inspector Baek Haeryong (former head of the Criminal Division at Yeongdeungpo Police Station) is speaking at the 'Customs Drug Investigation External Pressure Allegation Hearing.'
[Photo by Kim Hyunmin]

On the 20th, at the hearing held by the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee, when Yoon Hyein, a Basic Income Party lawmaker, asked Kim whether he had ever said during a call with Superintendent Baek that "Yongsan knows about the case and is taking it seriously," Kim replied, "That is groundless."

When asked, "Did you decide to postpone the briefing on your own?" Kim answered, "Yes. I judged that a briefing was inappropriate at this point," adding, "It was said that a search and seizure would follow the briefing, but the relevant agency could have destroyed evidence, and it was a stage not yet reported to the National Police Agency's Criminal Investigation Headquarters."

When Democratic Party lawmaker Chae Hyunil raised the 'Presidential Office external pressure allegation,' Kim said, "I have never reported this case to the Presidential Office," and criticized, "It is completely unrelated to the Presidential Office, and Superintendent Baek's decision at the time did not conform to investigative common sense."

Superintendent Baek refuted Kim Chansu's testimony. He emphasized that during a call with former Chief Kim around 9 p.m. on September 20, "When I explained the circumstances that made the briefing unavoidable, they said Yongsan knew about it and was taking it seriously."

Baek said, "The reason why the person who personally led the drug seizure operation suddenly blocked the briefing and obstructed the investigation cannot be explained unless it was Yongsan. He betrayed the task force and stabbed me in the back."

This external pressure allegation in the investigation arose from a case last January when the Yeongdeungpo Police Station in Seoul detected that Malaysian drug syndicate members were smuggling methamphetamine into the country through Incheon Airport with the help of customs officers allowing them to pass through security checkpoints. Superintendent Baek revealed that before the media briefing on the case, he received external pressure from Police Commissioner Cho Byeongno (former Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Public Safety Department Chief) to "remove Customs from the press release." Commissioner Cho denies any external pressure.