Police Officers In Charge Of Initial Burning Sun Assault Case Undergoing Investigation

The police are investigating the initial assault case at Burning Sun involving Kim Sang Kyo.

The joint investigation team of the Gangnam club assault case from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency explained that they informed the Office of Inspection & Public Complaints of the suspicions surrounding the Burning Sun assault case.

The Office of Inspection & Public Complaints investigates police officers for illegal actions or corruption and determines the degree of the punishment.

It was found that the police officers who were dispatched to the scene of the Burning Sun assault case had read the Miranda warning to Kim Sang Kyo after arresting him. The law states that the Miranda warning can only be read after the arrest in urgent cases such as when the suspect is fleeing.

The police revealed, “We informed the Office of Inspection & Public Complaints about the passive measures taken by the officers who arrived at the scene, arresting the person who reported the issue as the assailant, as well as suspicions about the initial measures taken by the police such as whether standard procedures were followed or not and the legality of the arrest.”

They added, “We also informed them about the fact that Kim Sang Kyo was not allowed to go to the hospital while being investigated at the [Yeoksam] Patrol Division, and whether or not the criminal arrest reports were falsely written.”

A source from the police commented,  “We took in the Anti-Corruption And Civil Rights Commission’s suggestions and reflected them in our investigations. The Commission suggested that we issue a ‘warning’ [to the suspected police officers], but the [the Office of Inspection & Public Complaints] will most likely demand a greater punishment.”

In relation to the suspicions of the police assaulting Kim Sang Kyo, the Yeoksam Patrol Division is undergoing an administrative investigation, and when the investigation is complete, the police will forward a report to the Office of Inspection & Public Complaints about the law enforcement abuse of power. A source from the police stated, “We will investigate the issue about the Yeoksam Patrol Division’s abuse of power in the future. If an issue arises, the policy states that we send the illegal issues to the Office of Inspection & Public Complaints.”

A source from the Community Safety Division of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency explained, “We have not had a separate investigation. We have only undertaken an administrative investigation regarding the Yeoksam Patrol Division. We cannot confirm anything about the law enforcement abuse of power.”

The police began investigating the suspicions of law enforcement abuse of power following the Anti-Corruption And Civil Rights Commission’s investigations. While investigating the Burning Sun assault case, the Commission found that the police had infringed on Kim Sang Kyo’s human rights in the process of arresting him. They searched police incident reports, criminal arrest reports, CCTV footage, and police officers’ body cams, and what they found differed from the claims made by the police.

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