경찰 수심위 “김병기 사건 1개월 이내 신속 처리”…경찰에 권고

The Police Judicial Review Board (the "심의위") has urged the police to swiftly conclude the investigation into the case of Kim Byung-ki, a former member of the Democratic Party, within one month. This comes after the board, after extensive criminal investigation, has still not reached a conclusion on the case after a span of eleven months.

The 심의위's decision to recommend such a swift turnaround was made during its regular meeting held on the 25th of this month, after deliberating on a portion of Kim's case. This means that the investigation into the case will be concluded and handed over to the prosecution within a month, according to the 심의위. The board has advised that in exceptional circumstances where processing might need to be extended, a specific reason should be provided to the board and a specific deadline should be set for approval.

The 심의위, composed of police and external board members, serves as a mechanism to review the adequacy of police investigations. The board's recommendation carries no legal force, but it is customary for the police to follow its advice. The 심의위 discussed the necessity for swift handling of 13 suspicious matters related to Kim, including the unlawful acquisition of information during his enrollment at Sungkyunkwan University and the illegal acquisition of telegrams by former aides.

This recommendation was based on requests from the Citizens' Welfare and Family Affairs Committee and former aides who had each requested the board to review the cases. While the 심의위's recommendation applies to specific suspicions, it also indicates that all of Kim's case could potentially be concluded within a month. The police had planned to handle each suspicion sequentially, but recently, they have been considering the option of handling all suspicions at once, in what is known as "bulk processing".

The police began investigating Kim's case last September, beginning with suspicions surrounding Kim's enrollment in a university with special privileges, and have since been investigating various suspicions, including irregularities in medical benefits and political fund collection from the Korean Airlines. However, the case has been criticized for its lack of progress, with critics referring to it as a "dragging investigation".

Seoul Police Chief Park Byeong-soo pledged during a visit the previous day to expedite the resolution of the Kim case.