Prosecutors Rattle Police Sub-Stations

The conflict between prosecutors and the police that was triggered by the police's request for the right to conduct independent investigations is expanding.
In a practise not normally done, prosecutors have recently been monitoring neighborhood police stations, resulting in a strong protest by police officials over prosecutors' unwarranted supervision.
Prosecutors are reportedly ordering police officers at small sub-stations to report their daily activities to them. Prosecutors are even requiring police officers to turnover any information and personal data on members of the National Assembly collected through neighborhood surveillance.
According to the National Police Agency (NPA), three prosecutors from a branch office of the Seoul District Prosecutor's Office oversaw activities at three sub-stations of the Kangdong Police Station on May 18.
The prosecutors copied the registration of criminal cases and examined CCTV recordings. They even checked the condition of the stations' weapons.
A top-ranking official at NPA said that prosecutor's supervision of police stations is nothing more than a demonstration of their power and nothing less than a deviation from their proper right to examine detention rooms or places of custody at police stations.
A source from the Seoul District Prosecutor's Office said, 'A police sub-station can be considered a detention place because suspects are held there after arrest. Our actions are simply part of regular procedures.'

Jangsoo Seo:jsbee@joongang.co.kr