ใ ‘Drug Suspect’ Actor Lee Ji-hoon Diesโฆ Found Dead in Vehicle [Comprehensive] ใ
A famous actor under police investigation has died.
There were no suspicions of foul play.
“Did you see the news?”
“Yeah. The office is already in an uproar.”
“Sighโฆ Didn’t the police expect this? This is why you shouldn’t leak information.”
“You think you can book a suspect by pressuring them without leaking anything?”
“Even if we leak, we should handle it smartly like we do. You have to hand it to those police bastards; they handle things so savagely.”
Thanks to that, the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office was also in chaos.
Normally, if this case had been sent over properly, it would have been assigned to me immediately.
‘I’m sick of this.’
I sighed as I confirmed the body.
Even if it wasn’t a homicide, verification was necessary.
Since I was in charge, I had to especially check if the police had conducted an excessive investigation.
‘It’s a suicide.’
Slide.
I covered the body with the shroud again.
The motive for the extreme choice was relatively clear.
ใ Lee Ji-hoon’s agency: The matter is still under investigation. We ask that you refrain from excessive speculation until the truth is revealedโฆ We also question why the internal investigation was disclosed to the media in the first place. ใ
It was because the actor had consistently complained of extreme stress.
‘To be precise, it’s a suicide caused by the police intentionally leaking information to the media.’
Of course, it was illegal.
Article 126 of the Criminal Act strictly contains a provision for the ‘Crime of Publicizing Investigative Facts.’
Simply put, it meant that investigators like prosecutors or police would be punished if they publicized facts of a suspected crime learned during their duties before an indictment was filed.
However,
‘In reality, this law might as well not exist.’
Why?
Because there hasn’t been a single case where the prosecution or police were actually punished for the ‘Crime of Publicizing Investigative Facts.’
In fact, the prosecution had no history of ever indicting anyone under this provision.
For well over twenty years.
This applied to their own people, as well as to the charges against the police.
‘That’s why South Korea’s investigative agencies don’t hesitate to openly leak investigative facts to the media.’
It works especially well when the target is a public figure.
Those who have much to lose naturally feel much greater psychological pressure.
Famous people who have been targeted by leaks usually appear voluntarily at investigative agencies, if only for the sake of their honor.
They show up even when no one called them, just to protect the image they’ve built.
In effect, a ‘leak’ can be utilized just like an ‘arrest warrant.’
“Prosecutor!”
Just then, a crowd swarmed toward me as I left the mortuary.
They were reporters.
“Even though there was no specific evidence, the police went as far as conducting a public summons to investigate Mr. Lee Ji-hoon’s drug crimes! There is a lot of public opinion that this was an excessive investigation. What do you think, Prosecutor!?”
“First, the lead investigator on the police side stated there was a statement from a sufficiently credible witness. As you reporters know, public officials have a duty to report or investigate criminal facts they become aware of while performing their duties. If they don’t, it’s a dereliction of duty.”
“Even if we grant the investigation itself, shouldn’t they have remained silent about the booking for the sake of Mr. Lee Ji-hoon’s honor? It’s a crime that hasn’t been confirmed yet. If you investigate everything and find he’s truly innocent, will the police take responsibility?”
“Our prosecution is also looking into that part intensively. From the human rights of the deceased to the police’s claim of dereliction of duty and the fulfillment of the public’s right to know. We will conduct an internal investigation while balancing those three factors.”
That was as much as I could say.
‘โฆI’m so tired of this.’
But I knew.
Even though I said those words.
There would probably be no cases of punishment for the crime of publicizing investigative facts in the future either.
Just like with judicial precedents, once a precedent is set, the investigative agencies won’t be able to use this convenient leaking tactic anymore.
“Cover it up appropriately once time passes.”
Look at this.
As soon as I returned to the office, the Chief was already giving orders.
“This matter. If it gets any bigger, things will get difficult for us in the future too. Every single thing we’ve done in the past will probably be dug up.”
“โฆ”
“This is an order from above. No, it’s a command, so cover it up properly. I won’t say it twice. Don’t even think about getting clever; just listen to me.”
“โฆ”
“Did you glue your mouth shut? Why aren’t you answering?”
“โฆYes, sir.”
The Chief, having finally gotten his answer, left my office.
“Prosecutorโฆ”
“I’m sorry. I should have contacted you in advance, but the Chief was watching like a hawkโฆ”
“โฆ”
A sigh escaped me involuntarily.
What fault did the staff members have?
“It’s fine. Everyone, please head home for the day.”
Anyway, I was feeling a severe sense of disillusionment today.
It wasn’t like this was a one-time thing.
I can’t even say something wrong is wrong, so what’s the point of acting big outside saying ‘I’m a prosecutor’โฆ?
“โฆI look pathetic, truly pathetic.”
Left alone in the office.
Soon, I solidified my resolve.
Click, clack, click, clack.
My fingers moved quickly across the keyboard, searching for the characters.
ใ I am reporting the foul and expedient investigations of the investigative agenciesโthe prosecution and the police. ใ
I sent the relevant materials to a reporter I knew well via email.
By scheduled delivery, of course.
And then.
Rattle.
I opened the very bottom drawer of my desk.
Inside was a letter of resignation I had kept tucked away for a very long time.
The end for a whistleblower is always predictable.
“I heard a partner at Kim & X who earns several times more than me quit recently tooโฆ”
From what I heard, that lawyer was going to live a second life as a translator.
Honestly, I thought it was impressive.
To quit the best law firm in Korea to become a translator.
‘Right. What does the prestige of a job matter? Working without stress is the best.’
There was a future I had been thinking about for a long time as well.
“Let’s go to my parents’ house.”
Recently, my parents’ health had been deteriorating rapidly.
At the very least, I didn’t want to leave behind a lifelong regret using the excuse of being busy with work.
Even when I told them to hire some help, they wouldn’t listen at all.
They said it was just wasting money and ruining their temperaments for nothing.
“Suffering in silence ends now.”
I walked out, leaving the darkened office behind.
As if blessing my new life.
The city’s brilliant neon signs illuminated me brightly.
The next day, naturally, the entire District Prosecutors’ Office was in an uproar.
“Baek Seo-jun, where the hell did that bastard go!?”
“Th-that is, he took his annual leave starting todayโฆ”
“Annual leave? He caused this kind of mess and he’s leisurely on vacation? Aaaaagh!”
The office was completely turned upside down.
I received real-time reports of the situation from my direct investigator.
“I’m starting to feel a bit sorryโฆ”
“Prosecutor Baek Seo-jun?”
Just then, someone appeared in front of me.
Even though they were wearing a hat and a mask.
The unique aura of a celebrity couldn’t be hidden.
“Have you been waiting long?”
“No.”
I stood up from my seat and shook the hand extended to me.
A woman who drew everyone’s sidelong glances even though she was fully covered.
‘Actress Shin Hye-seo.’
She was a top-star actress who had dominated the early 2000s.
She was even still active.
Currently, she was also serving as the CEO of her agency.
“I sincerely thank you. Thanks to you, Prosecutorโฆ we were able to send our Actor Lee off well.”
“No. As a member of the prosecution, I am simply ashamed.”
Shin Hye-seo’s eyes curved into crescent moons.
“It would be so nice if there were only people like you in Korea, Prosecutorโฆ Ji-hoon in heaven will be happy too. Knowing someone like you was in charge. Once the forty-nine-day funeral rites are over, I will definitely visit the District Office to express my gratitude.”
“Ah. That isโฆ”
I laughed awkwardly.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t think I’ll be at the District Office by then.”
“!”
The quick-witted Shin Hye-seo’s body stiffened instantly.
“Are you perhaps quitting because of this incident?”
“It’s not strictly because of this.”
“Then, are you going to a law firm?”
I shook my head without hesitation.
No matter how much I thought about it, that wasn’t my path.
“No. I’m thinking of going down to my hometown for a while.”
“โฆPardonโฆ?”
A deep look of confusion appeared in Shin Hye-seo’s large eyes.
At the same time, I laughed awkwardly.
“I’m also in need of some healing.”
Once things had quieted down somewhat, I immediately stopped by the District Office.
Specifically, during the gap when the Chief was away from his desk.
I had to take the rest of the belongings I couldn’t pack.
“Heave-ho.”
After packing my personal belongings and saying goodbye to the staff, I left the District Office.
Fortunately, I didn’t run into the Chief during the process.
“Senior!”
Instead, I encountered a rather bothersome presence.
“Is that you, I-re?”
Seo I-re.
She was a colleague from my class at the Judicial Research and Training Institute and a junior from my university.
She had been very popular back in school.
Because she was smart and beautiful.
“Are you really quitting?”
“Wouldn’t it be weirder not to quit? Before I get demoted to some strange place.”
“โฆ”
Seo I-re, silent for a moment, bit her lip hard.
“Then, how about just getting re-employed immediately?”
“Where?”
“If you want, Senior, I’ll talk to my father.”
Seo I-re’s father was a partner lawyer at one of the top five law firms in the country.
“I’m quitting because I’m sick of the disgusting bad habits of this legal profession, and you want me to use connections to get re-employed?”
“You have the talent, Senior!”
“Yeah. I’ll take the thought for the deed.”
“Ah, Senior! Stop right there! If you really leave like this, I’m never seeing you again!”
Only then did I glance back.
Seo I-re was glaring this way with her hands on her hips.
“โฆI-re.”
“What!”
“Don’t like me too much.”
“!?”
For a moment, Seo I-re had a blank expression.
Then, not long after, her entire face turned as bright red as a tomato.
“What are you talking about! Has this senior gone crazy!?”
“Is it not true? You like me.”
“Noโฆ”
Seo I-re, her mouth twitching for a moment, flared up again.
“Even if that were true, who the hell says that so shamelessly with their own mouth!?”
“Didn’t you know? I’ve always been a shameless person.”
I started walking again.
By this point, any affection she had should have witheredโฆ
“Hey! Baek Seo-jun! If you’re going to set someone’s heart on fire, at least tell them where you’re going!”
A smirk escaped me unintentionally.
‘Don’t even think about it.’
A prosecutor and a farmer don’t mix.
My family home was in Gyeongsang Province.
To be precise, a backwater among backwaters called Goseong County with a population of less than 50,000.
As you might have guessed, it shared the same name as Goseong County in Gangwon Province.
“But, there’s a special area here that even Gangwon Province doesn’t have.”
The so-called Ice Valley.
My family home is right near here.
It was given this name because there’s a natural valley nearby where ice actually forms even in the summer.
Creeeeak.
“I’m home.”
Even though I had been away from this neighborhood for over ten years.
This greeting came naturally from my mouth.
It was just, how should I put it?
‘I’m finally back.’
Because I felt this way as soon as I entered.
Several nostalgic sights stimulated my senses.
The savory smell of soybean paste soup.
Piles of firewood left half-stacked.
The small hill spreading out behind the house, and even the distant sound of a dog barking.
Most welcoming of all was,
‘The smell of the countryside.’
Andโฆ the smell of my home.
That wasn’t all.
Pop, pop, pop!
Our house had been quite special since a very long time ago.
Pop, pop!
Should I say they looked just like snowflakes?
Transparent particles were constantly sparkling around me.
With their eyes wide open.
As if they were truly happy to see me again.
“Have you guys been well?”
Shhh! Shhh!
As if they could really understand my words, they now started scattering snowflakes all over the place.
You know the ice shavings that come out when you grind a shaved ice dessert?
Just like that.
“Ah, it’s refreshing.”
I sprawled out in a star shape on the wooden veranda.
As expected, home is the best in the summer.
“Yeah, yeah. I made the right choice coming back.”
Drowsiness washed over me as soon as I lay down.
I fell into a deep sleep for the first time in a long while.
Zzz.
A very, very sweet sleep, without waking up even once in the middle.