Kim Hyeong-geun, the designated first chief of the Suwon Regional Serious Crime Investigation Office, has a prior disciplinary record for driving under the influence, according to reports published on October 2. The disclosure concerns an incident from his time as a prosecutor and has raised questions about screening for the leadership of the newly launched investigative agency.
Kim was stopped on December 22, 2022, while driving about 1.2 kilometers from near Banpo-daero to Sapyeong-daero in Seoul’s Seocho District. His blood alcohol level was recorded at 0.031 percent, a level reported as within the range for a driver’s license suspension. The Ministry of Justice issued him a reprimand in February 2023, and he later left the prosecution service.
- Incident date
- December 22, 2022
- Blood alcohol level
- 0.031 percent
- Disciplinary action
- Reprimand issued in February 2023
- Driving distance
- About 1.2 kilometers in Seoul
Kim’s side said the incident was a case of driving the morning after drinking rather than driving shortly after consuming alcohol. The explanation said he had consumed three or four glasses of soju with his family the previous evening while discussing his daughter’s entrance-examination issues, and that more than 12 hours had passed before he was stopped around midday.
His representatives also said he had undergone major surgery for a leg fracture in October 2022, was receiving outpatient treatment and was taking pain medication. They argued that his health condition and medication may have affected alcohol metabolism and contributed to the 0.031 percent reading, which they described as only 0.001 percentage points above the enforcement threshold. Kim’s side said he had not even considered the possibility that he was driving under the influence, but accepted moral responsibility, submitted his resignation, later sold his vehicle and explained the circumstances during the recent personnel review.
The Suwon office is one of six regional offices under the Serious Crime Investigation Office, which began operating on October 2 as a new investigative institution replacing the prosecution service’s former structure. Kim’s appointment had been announced among the first senior appointments for the agency. The case therefore extends beyond the past incident itself to questions about how disciplinary histories are weighed when selecting leaders for a new public investigative body. The available reports do not indicate any further action beyond the reprimand or describe the final status of the appointment.