Police Investigation Team: "Team Leader Suppressed Rape-Murder Charges Against Jang Yoon-gi"

It has been confirmed that the police investigation team leader repeatedly issued orders to suppress evidence and limit the scope of the investigation into Jang Yoon-gi (23), the perpetrator of a high school girl's murder, ultimately leading to only simple murder charges being applied.

The special investigation team of the National Office of Investigation, tasked with uncovering the truth behind the Jang Yoon-gi case, announced the interim results of its investigation today, July 15.

The special investigation team stated that Inspector Park, the head of the violent crimes unit at Gwangju Gwangsan Police Station who oversaw the initial phase of the case, instructed his team members not to pursue sexual motives, effectively limiting the scope of the investigation.

Although members of the violent crimes unit suggested that there was a possibility of charging the suspect with rape-murder, the team leader reportedly rejected these opinions. Furthermore, it was discovered that he omitted a forensic report from the investigative records that recommended examining the sexual motives behind the crime.

It was also revealed that Inspector Park ordered a report, which analyzed that the car's back door appeared to be open when Jang was subduing the victim, to be rewritten to state that the situation was unclear.

The special investigation team reported that Inspector Park also ordered the removal of specific details from an investigative report regarding stalking crimes Jang committed against a part-time job colleague before the murder. He also instructed that any mention of sexual motives be excluded when attaching other analytical reports to the case file.

Inspector Park's instructions also played a role in the destruction of key evidence, such as cable ties and a sex doll, by the suspect's father, who is a serving police officer.

During the vehicle inspection on the day of the incident, Inspector Park personally handled the cable ties but ordered his team members not to seize them, and subsequently forbade any discussion of the items.

He allowed the vehicle and the suspect's residence to be returned to the family just one to three days after the incident, without securing physical evidence such as the cable ties.

On July 2, as public outcry over the alleged lenient investigation grew, Inspector Park reportedly defied orders from his superiors to submit the omitted materials, including investigative reports, to the prosecution.

It was further confirmed that on the same day, he ordered his team members to delete the crime scene footage that showed the cable ties.

The special investigation team has referred Inspector Park to the prosecution today on charges including destruction of evidence, neglect of duty, and abuse of power, citing his significant involvement in ensuring that Jang was referred to the prosecution on simple murder charges.

While Inspector Park claimed that he determined the cable ties and the sex doll were not key evidence for the murder, he reportedly testified that there were orders from higher-ups regarding the decision not to link the stalking crimes to the murder.

The special investigation team has also booked the then-chief of the Gwangsan Police Station and the head of the criminal investigation division, who were Inspector Park's direct superiors, on charges including abuse of power.


Additionally, a police officer identified as Sergeant A, who was part of the violent crimes unit led by Inspector Park, has been booked and is under investigation for leaking official secrets.

Sergeant A is accused of leaking investigative information, such as search and seizure plans and arrest schedules, to Jang Yoon-gi's father.

It was confirmed that he leaked confidential investigative details that are not typically shared with a suspect's guardian.

The two were found to have worked together at a local police substation for about six months between 2024 and last year.

The special investigation team plans to book Jang Yoon-gi's father as a suspect if evidence emerges that he instigated or requested the destruction of evidence from Inspector Park and others.

Through the investigation, it was also revealed—two months after the incident—that there is significant evidence suggesting Jang knew the victim before the crime.

During previous police and prosecution questioning, Jang had claimed that he did not know the victim, stating that they met by chance and that he did not know she was a high school student. However, evidence contradicting this was found on a spare smartphone that had been seized after the crime.

The special investigation team is looking into why the team at Gwangsan Police Station did not investigate this despite being aware of it in the early stages of the case.

Oh Dong-wook, the head of the special investigation team (Superintendent General), bowed his head in apology, stating, "The investigators, who should have uncovered the truth of the case, instead concealed evidence of the crime, causing irreparable pain to the bereaved family."

The special investigation team plans to continue its probe into whether there were any financial transactions, orders from superiors, or external requests involved in the botched investigation of the Jang Yoon-gi case.

They are currently working to determine the exact circumstances, based on testimonies that the decision to apply simple murder charges to Jang came from the investigative command line.

The team also plans to verify why the Women and Youth Affairs Division investigated the various sexual crimes Jang committed just before the murder separately from the murder case itself.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.