Lawmakers grilled National Police Agency Commissioner-nominee Kim Ki-yong over the police’s lax response to a recent murder case and his personal irregularities at a confirmation hearing on Tuesday.
“The police should take responsibility for the Suwon case,” Rep. Ahn Kyu-baek of the opposition Democratic United Party said.
He was referring to a 28-year-old woman who was abducted and raped before being killed by a Korean-Chinese man in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province on April 1. Police failed to rescue her though she made an emergency call. Kim’s predecessor, Cho Hyun-oh, resigned after the incident.
Kim Ki-yong
Ahn claimed that the murder case showed a serious problem in the police system, urging the NPA to improve the operation of its 112 Crime Report Center.
During the confirmation hearing, Kim was also slammed for his fake address registration.
He is currently accused of illegally changing his home address to an apartment in Seodaemun district, western Seoul in 2006 while he was living in Jongno district, to help his daughter transfer to a more favored high school.
Last week, he admitted that he had violated the law and apologized for his wrongdoing, but this failed to satisfy some lawmakers.
“How can the person who violates the law becomes the chief of police? This matter can’t be ended with his apology,” said Rep. Lee Yoon-suk of the Democratic United Party.
On Tuesday, lawmakers also bombarded the 55-year-old Kim with questions about whether he attempted to make money with investments in estate speculation.
By Oh Kyu-wook (596story@heraldcorp.com)
