Chung Jeom-sik: "Yoon Ho-jung and Acting Police Commissioner Must Resign Over 'Jang Yoon-gi Case'"

People Power Party Floor Leader Chung Jeom-sik addressed the allegations of collusion between the investigation team and the father of Jang Yoon-gi, the perpetrator of the murder of a high school girl in Gwangju, who is a serving police officer. Chung stated, "Maintaining the (prosecution's) supplementary investigation authority to check the police's monopoly on investigative power is a matter of course, and special measures are needed to restore public trust in the police."

During the floor strategy meeting held at the National Assembly, Chung remarked, "If the police fail to reflect and reform in the wake of this incident, trust in the entire police force will collapse, and its very existence could be threatened." He added, "The President and the government must not use the independence of the police as an excuse to turn a blind eye, but must take responsibility for bold organizational innovation of the police."

He continued, "Minister of the Interior and Safety Yoon Ho-jung and Acting Commissioner General of the Korean National Police Agency Yoo Jae-sung must take responsibility for this situation and resign," and emphasized, "I strongly urge President Lee Jae-myung to appoint a permanent Commissioner General of the Korean National Police Agency as soon as possible."

Chung criticized, "There is much talk that police organizational discipline has loosened under the Lee Jae-myung administration, not just because of this incident. The lax discipline of the police is primarily the responsibility of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety." He added, "Minister Yoon called for the strengthening of police neutrality and democratic control while abolishing the Police Bureau under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety last year, but what is the reality?"

He further pointed out, "The responsibility of President Lee, who has operated the police under an unstable acting system without appointing a permanent Commissioner General, is by no means small."

Chung also reiterated his proposal to "hold a 'ruling-opposition-government consultative table' for the reform of investigative agencies, including measures to check the police's complete monopoly on investigative power."

Regarding the incident yesterday (July 9), where party leadership including Representative Jang Dong-hyuk visited the Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency to protest but were denied entry and refused a meeting by the Commissioner, Chung rebuked, "I express deep regret. Do the police still not realize the gravity of the situation, or are they refusing to reflect?"

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