[Reporter’s Notebook] The Shadow Over the Appointment of the Seoul Police Commissioner

The promotion of Park Jeongbo to Commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency is stirring controversy. He is one of the individuals accused of exerting external pressure on customs drug investigations during the Yoon Suk-yeol administration. Appointing such a figure to a key position raises concerns about fairness and credibility. The Commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency is the face of the police organization and stands at the forefront of public safety administration.

From 2023 through last year, the customs drug case shook the political landscape. The scandal grew beyond a simple smuggling bust, as evidence emerged implicating customs officials and raising suspicions that police leadership attempted to downplay and cover up the case. At the time, Inspector Baek Haeryong, who led the investigation team at Yeongdeungpo Police Station, revealed, "Just two days before the drug investigation briefing, I received several calls from former Yeongdeungpo Police Chief Kim Chansu," adding, "During those calls, I was told that 'Yongsan is taking this very seriously.'" The Democratic Party of Korea argued, "Such widespread external pressure on the investigation could only come from the Presidential Office in Yongsan," questioning the morality of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration. They also pointed out that the police investigation was not conducted independently from the influence of the Presidential Office and police leadership.

There was also pressure to transfer the case, initially investigated by a local police station, to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. At this time, the name of Park Jeongbo, then Deputy Chief of Investigations at the Seoul agency, surfaced along the police command line. In a media interview, he claimed that the decision was purely his own judgment, made without any outside requests, but suspicions have not been dispelled. The case has since fizzled out without indictment or a formal declaration of innocence. On September 14, Inspector Baek stated on social media, "Since October 17, 2023, when the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO) said the case was under investigation, there has not been a single notification for over a year."

The customs drug case became a test of the independence of investigative agencies. As police leadership and political circles became entangled, the public witnessed how fragile the boundary is between power and investigation. The incident exposed a structural problem within the police organization, where the distinction between orders and external pressure is blurred by a hierarchical culture. However, after the change of administration, the Democratic Party has become surprisingly silent. While they amplified suspicions when it suited them, their response has been one of silence as the situation changed. The public has not received answers as to whether the suspicions raised by the opposition were false or whether the truth still needs to be uncovered. Now that the Democratic Party and President Lee Jaemyung are in power, they must provide responsible explanations and take appropriate action. If necessary, pursuing an independent reinvestigation or a fact-finding process is a duty that cannot be avoided.

The appointment of Commissioner Park is directly linked to the issue of trust in the police organization. It raises the fundamental question of whom the police exist to serve. In particular, the investigation of drug crimes is an area that tests both competence and integrity. A promotion granted without fully dispelling the shadows of the past undermines the justification for organizational reform. If the public cannot trust the police, the very foundation of the rule of law is shaken. Uncovering the truth behind this incident is not just a matter of personal honor, but a task to confirm the legitimacy of the entire police organization. Appointing the Commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency while suspicions of external pressure on the investigation remain unresolved could inflict a serious and lasting wound on public trust in the police.