[Anchor]

A special police investigation team looking into allegations of misconduct surrounding the case of Jang Yoon-gi, who murdered a high school girl in Gwangju, has conducted a surprise raid on the Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency's command. The move aims to determine how far up the chain of command the interference went regarding allegations that the investigation team went easy on the suspect, including leaking investigative information to his father, who is an active-duty police officer.

Our first report is from reporter An Huijae.

[Reporter]

On this weekend morning, the special police investigation team arrived at the Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency without prior notice.

They raided seven offices, including that of Gwangju Police Commissioner Kim Young-geun and those of former and current command staff who were in charge of the investigation into the high school girl's murder by Jang Yoon-gi.

The core objective is to determine whether there was higher-level interference in the decision not to apply charges of rape and murder during the investigation into Jang last May, despite internal opinions within the investigative team. Following the prosecution, the police have now set their sights directly on the chain of command.

[Police Special Investigation Team Investigator: (To what extent do you believe the Gwangju police command was aware of the situation?) ......]

Previously, the prosecution launched a compulsory investigation yesterday (July 10) after booking a police superintendent surnamed Kim, the former chief of the Gwangju Gwangsan Police Station, and the head of the detective division on charges including leaking official secrets and aiding in the destruction of evidence.

Based on testimony that Superintendent Kim instructed the investigation team leader to "go see Jang Yoon-gi's father" immediately after the crime became known, and that he personally visited the scene near the site of the search and seizure of the suspect's residence to oversee operations, investigators suspect that he may have attempted to "take care of" the suspect upon learning that he was from a police family.

Superintendent Kim is reportedly denying the allegations, much like the recently arrested investigation team leader. The police have seized the mobile phones of Superintendent Kim and the Gwangju Police Agency's top leadership, and have begun analyzing work journals and meeting materials.

The police, who questioned the investigation team leader and investigators suspected of a "lenient investigation" in succession yesterday, are also considering an additional summons for Jang's father, a police inspector surnamed Jang.

Inspector Jang, who voluntarily appeared for his second police questioning yesterday, reportedly denied the allegations of evidence destruction, claiming that he "only organized his son's belongings because it appeared that long-term incarceration was inevitable."

The police, who announced that they have expanded the existing investigation team into a special investigation unit, reiterated that they will conduct a thorough investigation without leaving any suspicions unaddressed.

(Video Editing: So Ji-hye, Video Reporting: Kim Jong-won kbc, Design: Kim Ye-ji, Jang Chae-woo)

Reported by An Huijae | Video by So Ji-hye | Graphics by Kim Ye-ji and Jang Chae-woo | Produced by SBS Digital News