South Korean Ex-Police Officer Jailed for Taking $82K in Bribes Linked to Crypto Investigations

A former senior officer with the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency has been sentenced to six years in prison for accepting bribes from individuals under investigation for cryptocurrency fraud.

The Goyang branch of the Uijeongbu District Court convicted the officer, identified as “Person A” under South Korean court reporting rules, of aggravated bribery, solicitation of bribes and fraud. The court also imposed a 100 million won fine, equivalent to about US$69,000 (AU$105,570).

According to a report from local outlet Chosun Ilbo, prosecutors said the officer received roughly 120 million won, or about US$82,000 (AU$125K) in payments between December 2023 and March 2024 while assigned to cryptocurrency fraud investigations at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.

About 50 million won of the payments were delivered directly in cash, while the remaining 70 million won was provided through so-called “entertainment fees,” covering hospitality and services rather than direct transfers.

A law firm office manager identified as “Person B” arranged introductions between the officer and the bribery sources. Person B was sentenced to two and a half years in prison and fined 50 million won, or about US$34,500 (AU$52K).

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Court Says Conduct Undermined Investigations

The court said the officer abused his authority by associating with individuals who were active targets of criminal investigations.

In its ruling, the bench stated the defendant treated his position “as power” and accepted money and entertainment while interacting with suspects. Judges said the conduct severely damaged public trust and undermined the integrity of law enforcement.

Prosecutors said the payments effectively neutralised investigations involving those individuals during the four-month period in which the bribes were received.

The case adds to a series of cryptocurrency-related enforcement failures in South Korea. In one earlier incident, Seoul Metropolitan Police lost 22 Bitcoins worth about US$1.4 million (AU$2.14 million) due to improper evidence storage. 

Separate bribery investigations in late 2025 also led to indictments of several police officials linked to a US$186 million (AU$284.58 million) cryptocurrency money-laundering operation. Legal commentators have since called for stronger oversight of officers handling digital asset investigations.

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