Just 'One Warning Text' Despite Seeing Neck Injury… Not Even Booked

Circumstances are continuously emerging that the Gwangsan Police Station, which handled the initial response to the murder of a female high school student in Gwangju, responded inadequately to a report from a Vietnamese woman who claimed she was being stalked by the murderer, Jang Yoon-gi.

It was revealed that the police officers who responded to the stalking scene at the time sent Jang Yoon-gi just a single warning text message and did not even book him for the case.

Jang is also suspected of breaking into the studio apartment of the Vietnamese woman, whom he met while working a part-time job, and sexually assaulting her two days before murdering the high school student, followed by stalking her.

Although this case is crucial evidence supporting Jang's charge of rape and murder, the Gwangsan Police Station did not merge it with the murder investigation, instead assigning it to the Women and Youth Division for a separate investigation.

According to data submitted by the Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency to the office of People Power Party lawmaker Seo Bum-soo, the Cheomdan District Unit of the Gwangsan Police Station was dispatched to the scene around 8:00 PM on May 3 after a Vietnamese woman, A, reported stalking via 112.

Police officers from the Women and Youth Division of the Gwangsan Police Station also accompanied them.

However, it was found that the police at the time merely sent a single warning text message to Jang Yoon-gi.

This differs from Jang's indictment, which states that "Jang Yoon-gi received text messages from a police officer belonging to the Cheomdan District Unit multiple times warning him to stop stalking."

The police maintained their stance, stating, "The indictment is drawn up by the prosecution, not the police."

It appeared that the police judged at the time that Jang was not visible at the scene and that a criminal investigation was unnecessary.

A police official explained, "We suggested filing a case after seeing the injury on the neck of the Vietnamese woman, A, but A said she did not want to because she was scheduled to move to Chilgok, North Gyeongsang Province," adding, "She requested personal protection only while moving her luggage."

The prosecution explained, "The indictment is written based on the police's investigative records," and added, "The number of times the warning text was sent is something that needs to be newly verified."

After receiving the stalking warning text message, Jang Yoon-gi removed his mobile phone's USIM chip and threw it into the Yeongsan River.

He committed the murder two days later.

(Reported by Kim Minjeong | Video by Na Hong-hee | Graphics by Yang Hye-min | Produced by SBS Digital News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.