People Power Party: "Jang Yoon-gi Case Would Have Been Covered Up Without Prosecution's Supplementary Investigation"

▲ People Power Party Floor Leader Jung Jeom-sik speaks during a floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly on July 7.

The People Power Party (PPP) has urged the Democratic Party of Korea to halt its push to abolish the prosecution's authority to conduct supplementary investigations, highlighting issues in police investigations revealed by the Gwangju high school girl murder case.

During a floor strategy meeting today (July 7), Floor Leader Jung Jeom-sik said regarding the Jang Yoon-gi case, "Initially, the police showed strange behavior by not seizing the 'real doll' found at Jang Yoon-gi's residence, nor the vehicle where bloodstains and fingerprints were collected." He added, "This case is not merely a matter of poor police investigation, but a deliberate act of covering up a crime compounded by twisted internal collusion."

He continued, "If it were not for the prosecution's supplementary investigation, the truth of the case might have been covered up forever," and stated, "In this situation, we cannot leave criminal investigations solely to the police. The public is now questioning the police's qualifications to conduct investigations."

Floor Leader Jung urged the opposition party, saying, "I call for an immediate halt to the abolition of the prosecution's supplementary investigation authority until the police fully restore public trust in their criminal investigation capabilities." He further proposed holding a consultative body between the ruling party, the opposition party, and the government to discuss the reorganization of the criminal investigation system, including the supplementary investigation authority, stating, "Furthermore, I urge a zero-base re-examination of the Republic of Korea's criminal investigation system following the adjustment of investigative powers between the prosecution and police during the Moon Jae-in administration."

Kim Mi-ae, the Chief Deputy Floor Leader for Policy, also questioned, "This Jang Yoon-gi case is a clear example of why the prosecution's supplementary investigation authority is necessary," adding, "Under these circumstances, I cannot help but ask if it is truly for the people to grant the police a monopoly on investigative power and even abolish the prosecution's supplementary investigation authority."

Chief Spokesperson Choi Bo-yoon also stated in a commentary, "It was the prosecution's supplementary investigation that uncovered the ugly full picture of this case, which the police almost buried as a simple murder." She argued, "If it were not for the prosecution's reinvestigation, (Jang Yoon-gi) would have received a light sentence for general murder, rather than rape-murder, and would have been released back into society."

She emphasized, "Together with the public, we will do our utmost to block the 'abolition of the supplementary investigation authority' to ensure that second and third Jang Yoon-gi cases cannot take root."

(Photo: Yonhap News)

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