My Calling Is Profiler [EN]: Chapter 311

People tend to think that once an arrest warrant or a search warrant is issued, or someone is placed on a wanted list, the police will turn everything upside down to make an arrest. But in reality, that’s not how law enforcement works in South Korea.

For example, what happens when someone is placed on a wanted list? People assume the police will track their bank accounts and credit card history to pinpoint their location, then dispatch officers to make an arrest. But that only happens in a few cases—very serious violent crimes or cases that have been exposed to the public.

Most wanted criminals are simply left unattended. And unfortunately, tracking their accounts or card usage requires a separate court order, which is not granted for these neglected cases.

Naturally, all the police can do in such cases is hope they get caught in a random street check, which is now a rare occurrence.

In some instances, people don’t even know they’ve become wanted criminals, which is a limitation of the current wanted system in South Korea.

There are no social disadvantages to being on a wanted list.

Legally, being on a wanted list means you are suspected of being a criminal, not that you have been determined to be one. Therefore, imposing disadvantages based on a wanted status has clear limitations.

“Ugh, so what do we do with this guy?”

“Let’s go after the judge first, not this guy.”

“Excuse me? The judge?”

Joong-tae was horrified by those words. To a front-line police officer, a judge is like a powerful figure in the heavens. Of course, they aren’t really gods, but that’s how they see themselves.

To think that they would go after a judge who didn’t even properly review a case with so many victims and nearly 200 million won [approximately $150,000 USD] in damages—or even more if unreported cases are considered—and simply dismissed the arrest warrant because it was a no-show?

“If we say anything, they’ll throw a fit and demand our heads on a platter!”

How dare a mere police officer offer an opinion to them? A judge wouldn’t tolerate that and would likely attack the officer.

Unfortunately, most people in the legal profession see the police as the lowest rung of public authority, and as someone who can be suppressed when necessary.

“Of course, we can’t ask for their opinion. But someone else can.”

“Huh? Who?”

“Who else but a reporter?”

Park Do-joon smirked as he spoke.

“Hello, this is Reporter Seo Joo-ran.”

Seo Joo-ran visited the judge reviewing the arrest warrant at Park Do-joon’s request. The judge couldn’t refuse her visit.

“There are rumors that you recently rejected an arrest warrant request for a no-show case with nearly 500 million won [approximately $375,000 USD] in damages. Is that true?”

“Ahem, I haven’t heard of such a large case before.”

“But according to our sources, you dismissed the warrant request because you felt that detaining someone for a simple no-show case was unnecessary?”

“Isn’t detaining someone for not paying for a meal a bit of a human rights issue…?”

The judge made excuses.

‘Damn it, a no-show? It seems like that’s the only case it could be!’

In reality, it’s extremely rare for an arrest warrant to be issued for a no-show, so he couldn’t have been unaware. He had seen the record at the time and dismissed it without properly reviewing it.

It was stated that the estimated damages were 200 million won, but he dismissed it, assuming it was a false report from the police to get an arrest warrant, as it was impossible for a no-show to cause that much damage.

‘But why is it suddenly 500 million?’

It was 200 million won back then. But the mention of 500 million made his heart sink.

“And when I checked, the damages weren’t 500 million won.”

“Ah, that’s because of individually investigated details. There was a similar case before coming to this area, and they continued the no-show in a similar manner back then. So the damages amounted to 500 million won.”

‘Of course, it’s a lie.’

Seo Joo-ran chuckled inwardly. But her expression remained very serious. Wearing such a mask was very familiar to her as a reporter. And even if it was a lie, the judge couldn’t argue or delve into it because he had the weakness of having dismissed it.

‘And didn’t Park Do-joon say that the word judges hate the most is ‘public welfare’?’

Park Do-joon had asked Seo Joo-ran to go and do a brief interview. If the police went to argue, the judge would retaliate, but a reporter was another powerful figure, so the judge couldn’t retaliate.

“Isn’t dismissing a case with damages of 500 million won without sufficient analysis an act of ignoring public welfare too much?”

At the word “public welfare,” the judge’s face quickly began to stiffen.

‘Shit, I’m screwed!’

That’s because, in Korea, “public welfare” is a kind of magical word. Public welfare simply means the well-being of the people.

And the public extremely dislikes any act that harms that public welfare.

If the words “communist” or “traitor” are magical words used for political purposes to suppress the other party, then “public welfare” is a magical word used for economic purposes to suppress the other party.

The public gets easily excited when public welfare is involved because it becomes their problem, even if they are not directly involved.

That’s why politicians sing the praises of public welfare whenever they do something, even if it benefits them or large corporations.

The problem is that this case is clearly one that seriously affects public welfare.

A no-show case spanning several years with damages of 500 million won. People don’t know the difference between detention and punishment. And if this goes out to the media, it will only look like the judge released a business obstructionist who is ruining public welfare.

‘Heh, seeing his face stiffen, he must feel guilty.’

Seo Joo-ran grinned as she looked at the judge’s face.

“There seems to be some misunderstanding. The dismissal of the arrest warrant for that criminal was simply a misunderstanding.”

“What kind of misunderstanding? A misunderstanding that the person isn’t a no-show offender, or a misunderstanding that the person can’t be arrested?”

“It’s not that…”

The judge swallowed hard, knowing that his job would be in danger if he said he hadn’t read the documents properly.

‘No, how can I look at all the documents, not just one or two?’

He was always busy with the flood of documents requesting arrest warrants, so he only read the charges roughly and checked them briefly.

That situation led to this worst-case scenario.

“If the police submit additional evidence, I will approve the arrest warrant immediately.”

In the end, the judge had no choice but to say that.

“Hey, Team Leader Joo, what are you doing? Why aren’t you applying for an arrest warrant for that bastard?”

“Who?”

“The no-show case offender, I’m talking about!”

“I thought you told me not to because it was rejected?”

“Hey, I told you last time. Re-apply for that arrest warrant right away!”

“No, what’s the point of applying if it’s just going to get rejected?”

Joo Joong-tae said nonchalantly. The section chief raged at Joo Joong-tae’s words.

“You little shit, stop messing around and apply quickly! They said they’ll approve it if we just apply!”

“Did they? I had no idea. I’ll try to find additional evidence and apply.”

“Additional evidence?”

“Don’t you need additional evidence to get it approved?”

“You… crazy! Haa~ Hey, just apply.”

“But there’s still no additional evidence…”

“Just do it, you bastard! Or should I do it myself?”

In the end, the section chief stormed out in anger, and Joo Joong-tae, who had been staring blankly, smirked and came out of the office. He immediately called Park Do-joon.

“It’s me, Detective Park. As you said, they’re suddenly urging me to file for a warrant.”

-When public welfare is involved, it’s bound to provoke public outrage from the judge’s perspective. So they have to arrest him somehow before it’s reported in the news.

Of course, it doesn’t have a big impact on the judge’s career. But once this kind of public welfare news breaks, each media outlet crazily ‘urakkaes,’ that is, copies the article. Once it spreads to each media outlet as an article, almost 100% of politicians get involved and start making a fuss to get their names out there.

It’s not enough to ruin a judge’s career, but it’s enough to cause minor scratches, and the biggest thing is that the higher-ups in the court get quite annoyed when this kind of thing happens, so the judge has to file an arrest warrant before it’s reported in the news.

-Don’t apply right now. Wait about three days and then apply.”

“Yes? Why?”

-We’ll need warrant requests more frequently for the investigation now, and we need to tighten things up on this side so that warrants come out easily. That will make them more anxious.”

“I understand.”

Joo Joong-tae immediately understood and hung up the phone. He didn’t ask any more questions because he believed Park Do-joon’s words and carried them out, and now they were telling him to apply for a warrant.

As Park Do-joon hung up the phone, Seo Joo-ran, who was next to him, asked Park Do-joon.

“Detective Park, are we really not going to publish this as an article?”

“Yes, not yet.”

“Not publishing it at all is a bit…”

“The biggest problem is that if we publish it, this guy will definitely notice and run away.”

“Run away?”

“Yes, this guy knows exactly what he’s doing.”

If it’s published as an article, it’s bound to become an issue, and the criminal will start to flee the moment he recognizes that.

“To publish it as an article, we have to arrest him first so that he can’t escape.”

“Ugh, it’s still a waste…”

“There’s nothing to waste. Isn’t this going to be cut from above anyway? What will they say from above?”

At those words, Seo Joo-ran looked at Park Do-joon with a strange expression. The only reason was that what he said was so accurate, as if he was monitoring her.

“How did you know?”

“It would be more absurd to say that a warrant judge doesn’t have connections in the media.”

A warrant judge is someone who is at a certain level within the court.

They don’t give the job of warrant judge to a rookie judge who doesn’t know anything.

“In Korea, the position of warrant judge is a very political area. So, considering various factors, it’s a position that is filled by someone with political influence, or at least someone who can be influenced by that influence.”

The position of warrant judge is one that absolutely no upright and righteous person can hold.

“And there’s no way that such a person wouldn’t ask the media not to publish the article.”

“Hehe, I thought you were even monitoring our company.”

“That’s how my senior is. He’s really someone who’s on top of people’s heads.”

Jung I-yeon also smiled brightly. And Park Do-joon also smirked as he looked at Jung I-yeon.

My Heavenly Job Is a Profiler