Father of Gwangju Murder Suspect Claims He Acted 'Out of Parental Instinct'; Investigation into Team Leader Intensifies

[Anchor]

It has been reported that the father of Jang Yoon-gi, the perpetrator of the Gwangju high school girl murder case and an incumbent police officer, stated during police questioning on the 8th that he acted as he did because he was "a father." Meanwhile, the police investigation into the Gwangju Gwangsan Police Station investigation team leader, who was arrested on charges of destroying evidence in the Jang Yoon-gi case, has begun in earnest.

Reporter Kwon Min-kyu has the story.

[Reporter]

The police summoned Jang’s father, a police inspector surnamed Jang, as a witness on the afternoon of the 8th and questioned him for seven hours.

The police pressed Inspector Jang on why he disposed of items found at his son’s home, including a sex doll and an older mobile phone.

It is reported that in response to the investigation team’s repeated questions, Inspector Jang stated that he acted that way because he was "a father."

He reportedly did not exercise his right to remain silent and answered most of the questions asked by the police.

Yesterday, the police summoned and questioned two members of the investigation team at the Gwangju Gwangsan Police Station who were in charge of the initial investigation into the Jang Yoon-gi case.

They were reportedly questioned on whether there was any intervention from "higher-ups" in the process of conducting a botched investigation, such as ignoring "cable ties" discovered during the search of Jang Yoon-gi’s vehicle.

Their direct superior, the investigation team leader Inspector A, was arrested on the night of the 8th.

Inspector A, who faced an arrest warrant on charges of "destruction of evidence," denied all allegations, claiming he had "never even met Jang Yoon-gi’s father." However, the court ruled that there was a risk of evidence destruction and flight.

The police have initiated a forensic analysis of Inspector A’s mobile phone now that he is in custody.

The police believe the phone may contain clues regarding why Inspector A helped Jang Yoon-gi’s father and whether there was any involvement from higher-ranking officials.

Acting Commissioner General of the Korean National Police Agency Yoo Jae-sung, who was on a business trip to the United States to attend a UN Chiefs of Police Summit, cut his trip short and returned to Korea early this morning, apologizing by saying, "I am sorry for causing concern to the public."

Reported by Lee Byung-ju | Video by Ahn Yeo-jin | Graphics by Kim Ye-ji | Produced by SBS Digital News
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.