Prosecutors Summon National Office of Investigation Official Over Alleged Directive to Split Investigation

[Anchor]

Prosecutors are zeroing in on the leadership of the National Office of Investigation (NOI). Authorities summoned and questioned an NOI official today (July 22) who reportedly conveyed a directive from the head of the NOI to the Gwangju Provincial Police Agency to split the investigation. This marks the first time prosecutors have summoned an NOI official in connection with the Jang Yoon-gi case.

Reporting follows by Kim Deok-hyeon.

[Reporter]

A man in a suit wearing a black mask enters the prosecutors' office.

He is Superintendent Choi, head of the violent crimes division at the National Office of Investigation, marking the first time an NOI official has been summoned by prosecutors.

[Superintendent Choi / Head of Violent Crimes Division, National Office of Investigation: (Have you ever conveyed that the head of the NOI ordered a split investigation?) ......]

Prosecutors summoned Superintendent Choi as a reference witness this morning to question the circumstances under which he told the head of the violent crimes division at the Gwangju Provincial Police Agency last May to split the murder and sexual assault investigations involving Jang Yoon-gi.

Prosecutors are focusing in particular on the message delivered by Superintendent Choi to the Gwangju agency, which was framed as an order from the head of the NOI.

This is because Superintendent Choi has been directly communicating with the NOI leadership while also serving as the acting head of the violent crimes department, a post currently vacant.

This afternoon, former Gwangsan Police Station detective division chief, Superintendent Park, who directly investigated the Jang Yoon-gi case, was also summoned by prosecutors.

Superintendent Park's side previously claimed that there was a guideline from the National Office of Investigation to separate Jang Yoon-gi's sexual assault and murder cases, adding that they requested a combined investigation through the Gwangju Provincial Police Agency, but the NOI blocked it three times.

Prosecutors are focusing on determining through the questioning of related parties whether there is any connection between allegations of botched initial investigations by the Gwangsan Police Station and direct orders from the NOI leadership, the control tower of police investigations.

In response, the NOI previously explained that it issued the directive to ensure investigative completeness, having judged that it would be difficult to prove the sexual assault crime within the statutory transfer period for the Jang Yoon-gi case.

(Camera Chief: Joo Beom | Video Editing: Choi Hye-ran | Design: Jang Chae-woo)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.