Singer Kim Ho Joong, facing charges of a drunk hit-and-run, is at the center of controversy for attending a police investigation privately in an underground parking lot.
Kim arrived at the Gangnam Police Station in secret around 2 PM on the 21st, underwent an investigation for about 3 hours, then said, “I can’t stand in front of the press,” and held out for 6 hours. He finally left the police station and went home 9 hours after his appearance.
A controversy over special treatment arose when Kim did not reveal his appearance in front of the press gathered at the main entrance of the police station, and used the underground parking lot of the Gangnam Police Station instead. This is because there were not a few cases where celebrities made public appearances at the current Gangnam Police Station building, which was built in 2017.
In response, the police at the scene explained, “We followed the rules regarding police public relations. There was no special treatment.” They added, “We proceeded as we usually do,” and “The newly built police station was designed from the beginning to be able to investigate suspects underground.”
However, there are precedents of many celebrities, including singer Goo Hara, making public appearances after the current Gangnam Police Station building was built in September 2017. Therefore, the controversy over the Gangnam Police Station explanation arose.
The late singer Goo Hara made a public appearance to be investigated due to a dispute with her ex-boyfriend in September 2018. In October of last year, Ahn Sung Il of The Givers, who produced the Fifty Fifty’s “Cupid,” made a public appearance at the main entrance of Gangnam Police Station to be investigated for embezzlement.
Also, the late Lee Sun Kyun, who was under police investigation for drug use and died last December, stood on the police station photo line three times before his death. Lee had requested the police for a private appearance using the underground parking lot through his lawyer, but the police refused, so he had to stand in the photo line.
The police explained that there has always been a potential for conflict at the scene due to the police public relations rules avoiding putting suspects on the photo line. According to Article 16 of the Regulations on Public Relations of Police Investigation Cases, etc. of the National Police Agency, the police should not allow the press or other people to film, record, or broadcast the investigation process of the suspect.
Experts say that protecting the rights of the suspect should be prioritized.
Professor Han Sang Hee of the Graduate School of Law at Konkuk University pointed out through Newsis, “In the case of heinous criminals, they are put on the photo line or decided to be disclosed by the Personal Information Disclosure Committee for public interest, such as the risk of recidivism and tips on related crimes. However, for celebrities whose personal information has already been disclosed, there is almost no public necessity to do so. This can lead to human rights infringement and loss of honor.”
