Home > Opinion > Editorials

Prosecutors clear customs officials in drug case, but presidential order deepens confusion

Published: 10 Dec. 2025, 00:00

Police Superintendent Baek Hae-ryong (right) files search warrants on Dec. 9 at the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office for six locations, including Incheon Airport Customs, Gimhae Customs, Seoul Main Customs, the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office and the Incheon District Prosecutors’ Office. [YONHAP / COURTESY OF BAEK HAE-RYONG]

A joint investigation team at the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors’ Office Tuesday cleared 15 people, including customs officials and senior police officers, of allegations that they interfered in a drug-smuggling probe. The decision confirms that claims of customs officials aiding smugglers — and accusations that police and Korea Customs Service leadership pressured investigators — were unfounded. The team is led by Chief Prosecutor Im Eun-jeong, appointed after President Lee Jae Myung took office and widely viewed as aligned with the current administration.

The case began in July 2024 after police superintendent Baek Hae-ryong alleged that he had obtained testimony from a foreign trafficker claiming assistance from customs officials during a 2023 drug case. Baek said he faced pressure from the Yoon Suk Yeol administration and senior police figures after attempting to expand the probe, and that he was demoted as a result. He later suggested former president Yoon and former first lady Kim Keon Hee were behind the incident. But prosecutors reached a different conclusion, saying they challenged inconsistencies in the smuggler’s account until he admitted that no customs official had helped him. They added, however, that allegations involving the presidential office and members of Kim’s family remain under investigation.

The joint investigation began shortly after the new government launched in June, but the case drew national attention in October when President Lee ordered prosecutors to “conduct a thorough investigation without exceptions” and to dispatch Baek to the team. It is rare — and inappropriate — for a president to intervene directly in the formation of an investigative team.

The episode also exposed internal conflict among investigators. Im objected to placing Baek on the existing team, arguing it would raise questions about fairness, and proposed creating a separate unit. Baek responded by labeling the existing team an “illegal group.” After prosecutors announced the non-indictment decision, Baek accused them of covering up the case and sought search warrants for the prosecutors’ office and the Korea Customs Service. The situation now resembles one investigative team declaring another’s conclusion invalid and attempting a new probe. It is an untenable breakdown of investigative discipline. Investigations must rely on evidence, not an individual investigator’s beliefs, and no new evidence has emerged to justify reopening the case. If anything, the team’s findings suggest flaws in Baek’s initial investigation. The suffering endured by customs officials during this process also demands accountability.

The government cannot allow Baek’s repeated disruptions to continue. Personnel action is needed. The presidential office and the Justice Ministry should recognize that defending Baek at this stage would only undermine the nation’s entire investigative system.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.