Exclusive: Former Police Station Chief Summoned Again Over Jang Yoon-ki Case Suspicions After a Month

[Anchor]

Police have summoned and questioned the former chief of the Gwangsan Police Station, who is suspected of investigative misconduct in the Jang Yoon-ki case, for the first time in a month. Police are taking a very cautious approach in reviewing whether to request an arrest warrant.

Reporter An Huijae has the story.

[Reporter]

Senior Superintendent Kim, who has been booked by the National Police Agency's special investigation unit on charges including abuse of power, was identified as the key figure accused of exerting undue influence while commanding the initial investigation into the Jang Yoon-ki case during his tenure as chief of the Gwangsan Police Station in Gwangju last May.

This comes as the police's handling of sex crimes has repeatedly come under fire in the wake of the Namyangju stalking murder case.

According to police, Kim intentionally severed the connection to related crimes to evade accountability for the leadership, which ultimately led to a botched investigation, such as failing to apply the charge of murder with intent to commit rape.

SBS has learned that police summoned Senior Superintendent Kim for questioning again the day before yesterday (the 24th), exactly a month after his first summons.

During the roughly 11-hour interrogation, police reportedly pressed Kim on his command decisions at the time of the incident, using physical evidence and statements secured since the first round of questioning.

Kim reportedly maintained his previous stance, denying that he ever exercised undue influence.

Police remain cautious regarding how to handle Kim's custody, including whether to seek an arrest warrant.

While the investigation gained momentum after the head of the Gwangsan station's investigation team was arrested on charges of destroying evidence, two successive requests for arrest warrants against his direct superior, the head of the detective division, were rejected.

Unlike prosecutors who have booked former National Office of Investigation chief Park Sung-ju, police have reportedly not found any clear links between the Jang Yoon-ki case and the National Office of Investigation so far.

Following the investigation team leader who has already been sent to prosecutors, police plan to make a final review of the charges against the three suspects—including the former Gwangsan station chief and the detective division head—and wrap up the investigation as early as next month.

(Video Editing: Shin Se-eun, Design: Lee Jun-ho)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.