Police said Monday they have summoned the head of the state weather agency for questioning over suspicions that he gave preferential treatment to a particular business in connection with a bid for a new weather instrument.
Cho Seok-joon, the chief of the Korea Meteorological Administration, is under investigation on charges of abusing his authority to select Kweather, a private weather service provider, as the final provider of a LIDAR observation device, according to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.
LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is a laser light emitting device that can detect gusts of wind and other physical conditions of the atmosphere.
“I will sincerely respond to all questions to uncover the truth,” Cho said upon arrival at the police agency, adding that he hopes this investigation will not depress the morale of hard-working weather officials.
Police previously searched the offices of three weather services in May, including Kweather and the Korea Meteorological Industry Promotion Agency and confiscated evidence, and summoned the head of Kweather for questioning earlier on Aug. 31. (Yonhap News)
