Amid growing public outrage over alleged mishandling of the Jang Yoon-ki case and accusations of collusion involving police officials, authorities have restructured the existing investigation team into a Special Task Force. This move is seen as a commitment to address the escalating concerns.
On July 11, the National Police Agency announced in a press release that the scope of the investigation has expanded, necessitating a larger team to expedite the fact-finding process. The agency stated, "As the number of individuals under investigation has increased and numerous search warrants are being executed, we have expanded the investigation team for a more rapid resolution of the case."
As part of this restructuring, Oh Dong-wook, head of the Daejeon Police Agency's investigation division, has been appointed to lead the Special Task Force. Hong Jang-deuk, who previously led the original special investigation team, will now serve as the deputy head.
The investigation team has also seen a significant increase in personnel, growing from 27 to 41 members. An additional 14 specialists from the police's secondary victim investigation team and digital forensics center have been deployed to assist. To ensure transparency in the investigation process, a public relations officer at the rank of superintendent has been designated to provide updates.
The Special Task Force emphasized its commitment to conducting a thorough investigation, stating, "We will ensure that there are no doubts left unanswered." Earlier that day, the task force began its work by conducting surprise searches at the Gwangju Police Chief's office and the Gwangsan Police Station, which were part of the command structure during the initial investigation.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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