Warrants for the Arrest of Police-Opposition Party Officials Requested

The Jeju District Police Agency requested a warrant for the arrest of Jeju Police Station Intelligence Department sergeant Yim (age 56) who had released an internal document and Grand National Party (GNP) Jeju office worker Kim (age 38) who had requested the document on the charge of crime of leaking official secrets.

According to the Police, sergeant Yim is suspected of having made a report titled `the trend concerning Chung Hak-Mo, the main figure of Lee Yong-Ho scandal` and submitted it to his superiors on Sept. 29, and sent the document on Oct. 9 through a fax machine in the intelligence department office to Kim upon his request.

Prior to this, the police searched the GNP Jeju office in Yongdam Dong, Jeju City and Kim`s house from 0:50 AM through 2 AM on Oct. 22, and confiscated 3 documents found at a desk in Kim`s office.

The documents confiscated by the police were known as schedules of regular events such as `matters of police personnel appointments` and `the trend regarding the lawmaker soccer team`s coming to the province` which could not be considered as official documents.

The police explained that the search was conducted to discover other documents as sergeant Yim deposed to having offered a total of 7 police documents.

Meanwhile, 8 GNP lawmakers, including Floor Leader Lee Jae-Oh, made a protest visit to the Jeju District Police Agency .around 2 PM on Oct. 22 and demanded an explanation of the police`s unjustifiable search of the GNP district office.

GNP Floor Leader Lee argued, ``The police search of the GNP Jeju office was unprecedented in the annals of political party history, and should be regarded as suppression of the opposition party.``

In addition, Rep. Hyun Jung-Dae argued, ``The police opened the door of the office without asking the persons concerned when searching a political party despite the principle of voluntary investigation.`` asking `` Why did the police go so far as to search for the document, which could have been handed over upon request at no cost?``

In response to this, the Commissioner of the Jeju Provincial Police Agency Yoo Bong-An said, ``The search was conducted because there was a possibility for other leaked documents to be concealed or destroyed.``

Im Jae-Young jy788@donga.com