Police Investigate Command Influence in Jang Yoon-ki Case

Police and prosecutors are accelerating their investigation into allegations of misconduct related to the investigation of the murder of a Gwangju high school student. They are focusing on identifying the police command structure that may have influenced the direction of the investigation. To verify the circumstances surrounding the directive to separate the investigations of the murder and sexual assault cases involving Jang Yoon-ki, police summoned the head of the Gwangju Police Agency's violent crimes unit for questioning.

According to the Special Investigation Team for the Jang Yoon-ki case at the National Police Agency, the unit summoned Officer A from the Gwangju Police Agency's violent crimes unit as a witness on the morning of July 22.

The Special Investigation Team is examining how the directive from the National Police Agency to separate the investigations of the murder of Jang Yoon-ki and the sexual assault of a foreign woman was communicated through the Gwangju Police Agency and the Gwangsan Police Station. They are also investigating whether there were any legal violations in the reporting and command structure during the communication of this directive.

The analysis of Officer A's mobile phone, obtained during the search, is currently underway. The Special Investigation Team is reviewing messenger and call records exchanged with National Police Agency officials, as well as the processes for drafting and delivering reports, to clarify the overall command process of the investigation.

The investigation is also focusing on the National Police Agency. The Special Investigation Team is analyzing work-related communication records between Officer A and Officer B, the head of the violent crimes unit at the National Police Agency, obtained during the search of the Gwangju Police Agency. They are reportedly considering summoning Officer B for questioning to verify how the directive for a separate investigation was communicated to the Gwangsan Police Station.

This investigation aims to clarify whether there was any involvement from the National Police Agency's leadership. The Special Investigation Team has reportedly secured evidence that a senior official from the National Police Agency sent a message to a Gwangju Police Agency official stating, "This is the command from the chief."

At the time, the investigation team at the Gwangsan Police Station had suggested merging the investigations of the sexual assault case, which occurred two days before Jang Yoon-ki's murder, with the murder case, but this suggestion was reportedly not accepted. The former head of the criminal investigation division at the Gwangsan Police Station claimed that they had proposed a merged investigation three times, but the directive from the National Police Agency mandated a separate investigation.

Prosecutors are also intensifying their investigation into the police command structure. The Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office conducted searches the previous day at the National Police Agency's violent crime investigation division and is analyzing the mobile phones of police officers obtained during the searches. They continued their investigations on July 22 with officials from the Gwangsan Police Station, Gwangju Police Agency, and the National Police Agency.

Currently, four individuals involved in the investigation have been registered with the police, including the head of the Gwangsan Police Station, the head of the criminal investigation division, the investigation team leader, and a team member. The Special Investigation Team and prosecutors are also investigating the circumstances surrounding the omission of charges such as murder and rape during the investigation process, as well as the overall evidence collection and management procedures.