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I officially apologized today (21st) for the incident of assaulting a taxi driver last month, before Deputy Attorney General Yong-gu Lee was appointed as vice minister.

The police said the taxi driver didn't want punishment at the time, so the internal investigation ended, that is, something that didn't exist, and controversy continues over whether the investigation process was appropriate.



For more details, reporter Min Kyung-ho will deliver.



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The first time the police noticed the assault of a taxi driver by Deputy Attorney Lee Yong-gu, a lawyer at the time, after receiving a report from a taxi driver at around 11:40 pm on the 6th of last month.



The police officer who was dispatched checked the black box of the taxi, but the recording was not possible, and the deputy minister, who was randomly accompanied to the police box, submitted personal information and voluntarily returned home, the police said.



On the 8th of last month, the taxi driver informed the police that he did not want to be punished, and the police closed the internal affairs on November 12th, four days later, and handled it as something that did not exist.



After the incident, it took more than a day for the taxi driver to say that he did not want punishment, but in the meantime, he did not call Lee to investigate or file a bill.



Deputy Secretary Lee did not respond to police texts asking him to attend and be investigated.



[Jeon Ji-hyun/Attorney: Once the prosecution is filed and sent with an opinion of non-prosecution, the prosecution can conduct the investigation, but if the internal investigation is terminated, it becomes difficult for the prosecution to know the case itself.]



The police's initial explanation that the incident was within an apartment complex and that there were no safety concerns did not fit the current trend of emphasizing the safety of the inner road.



The police are analyzing relevant precedents to reexamine whether the assault by Vice Minister Lee is subject to the punishable special price law regardless of the victim's intention.



In a text message sent to reporters, Vice Minister Lee apologized to the public and the taxi driver, and said, "I think this case will be reviewed by the police and the sis will be covered."



(Video editing: Ha Seong-won)