1. "My Father is a Police Officer"
After arresting Jang Yoon-gi on the morning of May 5, the day of the crime, the Gwangju Gwangsan Police Station learned during questioning that his father was a police officer. Jang resides in Gwangju, and it was highly plausible that his father also worked in the city. However, no further questions or investigations were conducted regarding this statement. Inspector Jang, who is known to have investigative experience, was not treated as a person of interest during the initial investigation phase. Consequently, the two real-dolls that would have proven Jang Yoon-gi's true criminal intent were destroyed by Inspector Jang.
2. How Did the Detained Suspect Jang Yoon-gi Call His Police Officer Father?
However, another hidden story has emerged. It has been confirmed that on May 8, the day Inspector Jang destroyed the real-dolls, he had a direct phone conversation with Jang Yoon-gi before the evidence was disposed of. Jang Yoon-gi had been in custody since May 7, the day before. Naturally, he should not have had the freedom to speak directly with outsiders. How was this possible? It was a police officer at the Gwangsan Police Station who connected the two. This officer was even the investigation team leader in charge of the Jang Yoon-gi case. During the call, Inspector Jang asked his son if he had thrown his mobile phone into a river immediately after the crime, to which Jang Yoon-gi replied, "Yes." The Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency explained that they were trying to persuade Jang Yoon-gi through his father because he was not cooperating with the investigation. Shortly after the call, Inspector Jang went to Jang Yoon-gi's home and dismantled and disposed of the two real-dolls.
3. "My Son's Address and Password..."
The next part is even more serious. Inspector Jang did not actually know the address of Jang Yoon-gi’s residence, where he lived separately. So, how did he find the place and destroy the key evidence? Someone had provided Inspector Jang with the address of Jang Yoon-gi’s studio apartment and even the door lock password. It was the same person who had connected the phone call between Jang Yoon-gi and Inspector Jang that day: the investigation team leader for the case. In effect, the police investigation team opened the path for Inspector Jang to access the key evidence. It was also discovered that the lead investigator in charge of the case and Inspector Jang had spoken on the phone several times. Circumstances suggest that investigation-related information was leaked during these calls between the two, who had previously worked at the same station. This has fueled suspicions that the police investigation team, which should have been proving criminal charges and uncovering the truth, acted as a bridge between Inspector Jang—a former member of the Gwangsan Police Station—and his son.
4. "Warrant Application Planned"... A 'Secret Among Themselves' That Crossed the Line
Questions still remain. What kind of investigative information was shared? When the Gwangsan Police Station arrested Jang Yoon-gi on the day of the crime, they conducted an emergency search of his vehicle used in the offense. They returned the vehicle to Inspector Jang just one day later, claiming it had no direct relevance to the crime. Yet, the investigation team later explained to Inspector Jang during a phone call that they were looking for the vehicle again because they "intended to check the dashcam." This was said to the very person who had destroyed the key evidence. The team even disclosed specific details about the investigation, telling Inspector Jang that they "planned to apply for arrest and search warrants" for his son. This secret, which crossed the line, has now become a matter requiring an investigation into its legality.
5. Claims of Requesting a 'Real-Doll Analysis'...
The police's questionable handling of evidence has also come to light. When the controversy over the destruction of evidence related to Jang Yoon-gi's sex crime grew, the police explained, "There was no need to seize the real-dolls because the forensic team had already collected sufficient DNA from them." They emphasized that they had requested a DNA analysis from the National Forensic Service and received a report. However, when the case was transferred to the prosecution, this report—a key piece of evidence that could have proven Jang Yoon-gi's intent for sexual violence—was omitted. The report contained DNA analysis results from the vehicle and personal belongings used during the crime.
6. After the SBS Report
Ultimately, one day after the initial SBS report, the National Police Agency launched an internal inspection. They intend to examine the overall facts, including the history of reports to superiors during the investigation, the appropriateness of evidence preservation, allegations of leaks, and Inspector Jang's suspected destruction of evidence. The Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency issued an official statement saying, "We will humbly accept the inspection and cooperate faithfully according to the principles." Nevertheless, an uncomfortable atmosphere persists within the police force. Some within the force argue that "the era of going easy on a son's crime because his father is a police officer is over," while others maintain that "there was no misconduct during the investigation." After the controversy grew, some local media outlets interpreted Inspector Jang's destruction of evidence as merely "a father tidying up his son's room," citing a specific individual's view that it "did not seem like an action beyond common sense." However, the real-dolls in question were not simple household items; they were key evidence that could determine whether Jang Yoon-gi committed the crime for the purpose of sexual violence and influence his sentencing. There were also articles suggesting that the prosecution was at fault for not requesting that the police preserve the real-dolls as evidence. However, it was revealed that the police did not include information about the real-dolls in the investigation records when applying for an arrest warrant the day after the crime, and the prosecution only became aware of their existence after Inspector Jang had already disposed of them. Before shifting the responsibility to the prosecution, the police must first accurately account for what they included and what they omitted from their investigation records. The flow of this case has been somewhat simple. Without the police investigation, Jang Yoon-gi might have only been charged with general murder, which carries a minimum sentence of 5 years in prison. In the initial investigation, the police missed the real-dolls, which had been mutilated in sensitive areas. They also missed the mobile phone Jang Yoon-gi used in the past and the dashcam SD card containing his voice recordings. Evidence and charges that were nearly buried were uncovered during the prosecution's supplementary investigation. As a result, Jang Yoon-gi was indicted for sexual assault and murder, which carries a minimum sentence of life imprisonment. The coercive investigative powers granted to the police come with equally strict responsibilities. The gaps in evidence management, the circumstances of information leaks, and the suspicions of evidence destruction by Inspector Jang revealed in this case are all linked to proving whether Jang Yoon-gi's crime was motivated by sexual violence. The fact that Inspector Jang stated during prosecution questioning that he "was concerned that his son's crime would be linked to sexual matters" makes this connection even heavier. The tipping point has effectively been crossed. Ultimately, five days after the SBS report, the police formed a 22-member task force and arrested the investigation team leader for the Jang Yoon-gi case. Having confirmed evidence of destruction during the transfer to the prosecution, the case has now moved beyond internal inspection into a formal investigation. We will continue to track the remaining suspicions hidden beneath the surface.
Reported by Kim Deok-hyeon | Produced by Shin Hee-sook | Video by Kim Seung-tae | Video Editing by Kim Hye-ju | Graphics by Lee Jung-ju | Produced by SBS Digital News
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