Police Uncover Hidden Corruption and Arrest Revenge-for-Hire Ringleader

National Police Agency Selects 14 Recipients of Special Performance Bonuses
Uncovering Corruption Including Redevelopment Association Bribery
Yangcheon Police in Seoul Strictly Punish Mastermind Behind Revenge-for-Hire Case

After a thorough investigation spanning one year and eight months, the police, who successfully uncovered the full extent of a corruption case involving a redevelopment association chief and others, will be awarded special achievement bonuses and rewards totaling approximately 170 million won. The police have announced plans to proactively identify investigators with outstanding achievements and to firmly establish a performance-oriented organizational culture.

On May 13, the National Police Agency announced that it had convened a special achievement bonus review committee and selected 14 cases (totaling 177 million won) as recipients. Notably, four individuals—including Hwang Kiseop, Team 6 Leader of the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crime Investigation Division at the Gyeonggi Nambu Police Agency, who successfully investigated a redevelopment association chief bribery case and other corruption crimes—will each receive a reward of 15 million won.

Seodaemun-gu Police Agency, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

This case took place in a large-scale redevelopment zone with more than 3,000 association members. The investigation, which lasted one year and eight months, was conducted amidst a massive volume of data and complex, intertwined interests. Team Leader Hwang Kiseop emphasized, "Although there were strong protests from association members during the investigation process, we did our utmost to uncover the substantive truth."

The investigation team recounted a particularly memorable moment involving an elderly couple in their seventies who expressed their gratitude. They thanked the police for their anti-corruption investigation, saying, "Now, we might be able to live in a new apartment at least once before we die."

Recipients of the special achievement bonuses included not only those involved in eradicating corruption but also individuals recognized for their efforts in clamping down on illegal private lending, preventing phishing and similar crimes, investigating contract retaliation agencies, and apprehending perpetrators of secondary offenses and false information dissemination—areas of high public sensitivity. The bonuses will be paid after a one-week period during which detailed merit verifications and related procedures are conducted.

The Yangcheon Police Station in Seoul recently investigated a widely discussed contract retaliation case. Five officers, including Inspector Lee Byunghun of Violent Crimes Team 5, arrested five members of a group that orchestrated contract retaliation by placing their own members undercover in a delivery service company, illegally leaking as many as 1,200 sets of personal data, and carrying out acts of retaliation such as defacement of doorways. Four of those arrested, who faced the most serious charges, were detained, which is seen as a strict response to crimes causing public anxiety.

The police's efforts to prevent secondary harm in the wake of social disasters also stood out. Six officers, led by Inspector Lim Junghyun from the main office, formed a dedicated secondary harm investigation team and focused on investigating secondary offenses and the spread of false information regarding incidents such as the Sewol ferry disaster and the Itaewon crowd crush. They arrested two individuals who had persistently disseminated baseless criticism and false information. This marks the first time arrests have been made in secondary harm cases related to these two disasters.

Yoo Jaeseong, Acting Commissioner General of the National Police Agency, emphasized, "We will continue to actively recognize and reward civil servants who achieve special results, and we will work to firmly establish a performance-oriented organizational culture."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.