A former police officer in South Korea has been indicted for accepting bribes and leaking sensitive investigation information. The Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office announced that the former officer, in his 50s, received 24 million won in bribes from a broker over a period from February 2022 to December 2024. In exchange for the money, he inquired about the progress of criminal investigations involving a businessman and illegally accessed personal information from the police database to relay this information to the broker, who was coordinating the case for the businessman. The officer had worked for over ten years in the investigative unit before being dismissed when the investigation began.

The broker, identified as being in his 60s, managed to extract around 400 million won in total from the businessman by promising to influence the investigation. Some of this money was funneled to the former officer as bribes. The businessman, who allegedly sought to manipulate the investigation processes and secure favorable testimonies, reportedly embezzled about 300 million won from his company to use as lobbying funds between April 2022 and March 2023.

The prosecutors disclosed communications between the former officer and the broker in which the officer updates the broker on the investigation status and requests discreet handling of sensitive information to protect the identities of those involved. This case highlights serious concerns regarding corruption within South Korea's law enforcement and the integrity of the criminal justice system as officials are shown to be susceptible to bribery and external influence.