"Break the Black Box to Cover Up Junior's Drunk Driving"...Current Police Official Indicted

Prosecutors Analyze CCTV and Taxi Black Box to Prove Allegations
Former Police Officer-Turned-Lawyer and Evidence Destroyer Also Indicted Without Detention

A current senior police officer has been indicted for instructing the destruction of a car's black box memory card in order to cover up a drunk driving incident involving a lawyer, who is a former police officer and his junior at university.

Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office, Seocho-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang

According to the legal community on June 18, the Criminal Division 7 of the Seoul Central District Prosecutors' Office (headed by Chief Prosecutor Cho Yooncheol) indicted Inspector A, a current senior police officer, without detention on June 16 on charges of instigating the destruction of evidence. C, who destroyed the evidence under A's orders, was also indicted without detention for destruction of evidence. B, the lawyer and former police officer, was indicted without detention for violating the Road Traffic Act (drunk driving).

According to the prosecution, B is accused of driving under the influence in July 2024. A is accused of instructing C, who was present at the drinking session, to destroy the car's black box memory card in order to cover up B's drunk driving, as B is his university junior.

B reportedly claimed during the investigation that "the car moved automatically due to the auto-hold function of the imported vehicle." The auto-hold function allows the vehicle to remain stationary without the driver continuously pressing the brake pedal when the car is stopped.

After receiving the case from the police, the prosecution conducted its own supplementary investigation. The prosecution confirmed, through on-site CCTV footage, that the vehicle's brake lights were illuminated, and demonstrated with the same model of imported car that the brake lights would not turn on or off without intentional manipulation of the brake pedal.

The prosecution also analyzed the on-site CCTV and the black box audio files from the taxi that A took, as A denied the charge of instigating the destruction of evidence. As a result, the prosecution stated that it confirmed A gave instructions to C at the scene and said, in effect, "Destroy the black box of the drunk driving vehicle and claim that a substitute driver operated the car."

The prosecution stated, "We were able to clearly establish the charges through our own supplementary investigation and proceeded with the indictment," adding, "We will continue to take strict action so that those who undermine judicial order are punished appropriately for their crimes."

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