Baek Haeryong, Police Chief of Drug Investigation at Customs, "Discussed with Police Station Chief... Clearly Mentioned Yongsan"

Chief Inspector Baek Haeryong (former Head of the Criminal Division at Yeongdeungpo Police Station) stated on the 20th regarding the customs drug investigation, “I discussed everything, not just the briefing, with the police chief.”

Yoon Geon-young, member of the Democratic Party of Korea.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

At the hearing held by the National Assembly’s Public Administration and Security Committee that day, Chief Inspector Baek said this in response to a question from Yoon Geon-young, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, asking, “Is it true that the briefing was thoroughly discussed with Kim Chansu, Administrative Officer of the Presidential Secretariat (former Chief of Yeongdeungpo Police Station)?”

When asked whether Kim, the Administrative Officer, ever said that the briefing or investigation was handled improperly, Chief Inspector Baek replied, “No.”

When Yoon asked about the mention of Yongsan, Baek said, “It is clear,” while Kim claimed, “No.”

When Yoon asked, “Among the two, one is lying. Is that person the culprit?” Kim responded, “Yes.”

The suspicion of external pressure on this investigation arose from an incident 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. Chief Inspector Baek revealed that before the media briefing on the case, he received external pressure from Commissioner Cho Byeongno (former Director of the Community Safety Department at Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency) to “remove the Customs Service from the press release.” Commissioner Cho denies any external pressure.