Police Officers Call for Prosecution's Supplementary Investigation Power Amid 'Jang Yoon-gi Case' Scandal

As allegations of collusion between the local investigative team and a police inspector surnamed Jang—the father of Jang Yoon-gi, who murdered a high school girl in Gwangju—continue to spread, cynical reactions have emerged from within the police force itself.

This follows the discovery of circumstances suggesting evidence tampering by Inspector Jang during a supplementary investigation by the prosecution, and the subsequent emergency arrest of the lead detective on charges of destroying evidence after the police belatedly launched an internal inspection.

Today, July 7, posts arguing that "the prosecution's power to conduct supplementary investigations must exist" have been appearing on 'Blind,' an anonymous online community for employees.

The community requires verification of employment as a police officer to post, and comments such as, "Seeing this case, I am convinced. The supplementary investigation power is necessary. Public opinion likely agrees," and "The right to demand supplementary investigations should be abolished, but the power to conduct them must be recognized," have been posted.

As the allegations of poor investigation and collusion by the police have surfaced precisely during discussions about abolishing the prosecution's supplementary investigation power, the debate over the existence of this power has taken center stage, transcending the specific case itself.

Heated discussions are also taking place regarding the failure to secure key evidence in its physical form.

The 'damaged real doll,' a key piece of evidence for the charge of 'rape and murder' that could lead to a sentence of life imprisonment or more for Jang Yoon-gi, was discarded by his father, and the 'cable ties' were not secured by the detective team.

One police officer argued on Blind that "anyone could see it was evidence of a planned murder, yet the police failed to identify any of it at the initial stage," attributing the failure to a gap in investigative capabilities between the prosecution and the police.

In response, another officer countered, "While criticism for a poor investigation is unavoidable, can we unconditionally condemn it as evidence tampering?" adding, "It seems none of the investigators at the scene felt the need to seize the real doll. The media is blowing this out of proportion and conducting a witch hunt."

Regarding the investigative team providing the studio apartment's passcode to Jang Yoon-gi's father, some claimed, "It is standard practice to contact family members at the request of a landlord to help clear out a room."

Meanwhile, the allegations of collusion appear to be escalating into an investigative rivalry between the prosecution and the police.

Yesterday, the police converted their internal inspection into a formal investigation and formed a special investigation team of 27 members, led by a senior superintendent from the National Police Agency's Investigation and Human Rights Division.

In response, the Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office, which holds direct investigative authority over cases of police misconduct, launched its own investigation today by raiding the Gwangju Gwangsan Police Station, which was in charge of the Jang Yoon-gi case.

The prosecution has booked multiple police officers, including officials from the detective division, on charges including leaking official secrets and destroying evidence.

The prosecution is also conducting searches of the officers' residences.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.