A senior police officer with the North Jeolla Provincial Police Agency who smashed and discarded a mobile phone that was evidence in an illegal filming case involving the officer's son has been suspended from duty. The officer avoided criminal charges under a provision in the criminal code that exempts destruction of evidence in criminal cases involving relatives from punishment, but an internal police inspection found the officer had violated a public official's duties to maintain dignity and to serve faithfully.
The North Jeolla Provincial Police Agency said on the 16th that it had suspended the officer, a police inspector identified only as A, a penalty classified as a heavy disciplinary measure. Police disciplinary actions are divided into heavy measures — dismissal, removal, demotion and suspension — and light measures such as pay cuts and reprimands.
The investigation found that in May, the officer damaged and then discarded the son's mobile phone in connection with a case in which the son attempted to secretly film part of a homeroom teacher's body. The phone was evidence in the case.
Police concluded that the criminal code provision exempting the destruction of evidence in criminal cases involving relatives applied, and closed the case against the officer without referring it to prosecutors.
Declining to pursue criminal liability, however, was a separate matter from disciplining him as a police official. Yoo Jae-sung, then acting commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency, said on the 19th of last month that "inappropriate conduct, including a violation of the duty to maintain dignity, has been confirmed," and announced plans to transfer the officer to another station and refer him to a disciplinary committee.
During the inspection, the officer acknowledged smashing and discarding the son's phone, according to police. Authorities determined this violated a public official's duties to maintain dignity and to serve faithfully, and decided on suspension.
The North Jeolla Provincial Police Agency also imposed disciplinary measures on two officers who were investigated on assault allegations after a physical altercation while drinking in July.
The two — a police sergeant identified as B and an inspector identified as C — each said they did not want the other prosecuted, and the criminal case was closed without referral to prosecutors. The inspection concluded, however, that the sergeant had started the confrontation, and the sergeant was suspended. The inspector received an informal warning for failing to properly supervise the sergeant.
Two officers were also given pay cuts over the escape of a teenage suspect from a holding cell at the Namwon Police Station. At about 2:46 p.m. on the 10th of last month, the teenager, who had been detained on theft allegations, fled through an open entrance to the holding area and was caught about 10 minutes later.
Officers on duty at the time told inspectors they had briefly left the entrance open for ventilation, according to police. Authorities found they had been negligent in managing the holding facility and imposed pay cuts, a light disciplinary measure.
"We convened a disciplinary committee the previous day and decided on these measures," a police official said. "We will also work on prevention so that misconduct or irregularities by staff do not erode discipline in public service."
