Concerns about the Erratic Operation of Suspicious Death Investigation Committee

The Suspicious Death Investigation Committee (Chair Yang Seung-Kyu), which was launched in October of last year which is directly under the President, is showing a sign of erratic operations.

The committee is in a state of confrontation with the bereaved families and civil organizations over the issue of reinforcing the committee`s power to investigate. Furthermore, it has been suffering from inside as four civil investigators resigned.

The side of the bereaved families demanded that a thorough investigation into the forcible conscription of college students and afforestation operations in the past should be conducted and the Special Law for Suspicious Deaths be revised to reinforce the committee`s power to investigate, arguing, "The committee is trying to find out the causes of suspicious deaths only, neglecting to investigate systematic problems as promised at the beginning of its launch."

But the committee objected on Oct. 13 that it is "of no practical effect to reinforce the committee`s power to investigate through revising the law when there remains only five months to the deadline for the investigation (April 2002)." Regarding this, the bereaved families said, "We will take strong measures such as demanding the resignation of the committee chair if the bereaved families` requests for revising the law and reforming the inside are not accepted."

In regard to the inside, four civil investigators resigned on Nov. 18 and 19, protesting the committee`s passive negative towards the accused organs.

The Investigation Committee, comprised of about 20 civil investigators and about 30 investigators affiliated with government organs, was known to have experienced a serious conflict over directions and means of investigations into each case.

Particularly, in case of the Investigation Department III dealing with the cases concerned with the afforestation operations, the proposal made by the civil investigators that a substantive investigation into the whole afforestation operations should be conducted to uncover the causes of deaths faced a resistance from the government-affiliated investigators.

"The current situation has been created by a big discrepancy between expectation and reality, said a high-ranking official at the committee. "Despite institutional limits, investigations will continue."

Dong-Yong Min mindy@donga.com