[Anchor]

Circumstantial evidence has emerged suggesting that police leadership intervened in the initial investigation of the Jang Yoon-gi case. It has been discovered that the then-chief of the Gwangju Gwangsan Police Station allegedly instructed the investigation team to ensure that "Jang Yoon-gi's crimes are not linked to relationship-based crimes like stalking." The special police investigation team, having secured such testimonies, is focusing on the possibility that the Gwangsan Police Station attempted to downplay the case as a simple murder to conceal their own inadequate response.

We begin with an exclusive report by An Huijae.

[Reporter]

From the arrest to the referral of the case, the investigation into Jang Yoon-gi, the murderer of the late Lee Chae-won, was overseen by the then-chief of the Gwangju Gwangsan Police Station, Superintendent Kim.

It is known that Superintendent Kim has maintained the position that he "ordered a thorough investigation" even after allegations of a botched investigation surfaced.

However, the special police investigation team has captured circumstances indicating that Superintendent Kim issued instructions early in the Jang Yoon-gi investigation that contradict this claim.

According to reports, the special investigation team secured testimony that when the investigation team reported that Jang was also suspected of stalking and sexually assaulting a Vietnamese woman he worked with part-time on May 3, just two days before he murdered Lee Chae-won, Superintendent Kim instructed the team to "ensure that talk of relationship-based crimes does not emerge as much as possible."

The special investigation team has also reportedly secured various concrete pieces of evidence detailing the process by which Superintendent Kim and the leadership at the Gwangsan Police Station discussed these matters.

SBS's investigation revealed that this investigative guideline from Superintendent Kim was relayed to the investigation team leader, Inspector A, through the head of the criminal division, Superintendent Park.

Subsequently, the Gwangsan Police investigation team failed to secure key evidence, such as cable ties and a realistic sex doll, despite being aware of their existence.

As a result, the investigation team accepted Jang's claim that it was an impulsive act, stating he "decided to commit suicide and wanted to take someone with him," and applied only charges of general murder, excluding any connection to sexual crimes, rather than charges of rape and murder.

The special investigation team suspects that the Gwangsan Police leadership conducted a poor investigation out of fear that their failure to properly respond to the stalking and sexual assault crimes committed by Jang prior to the high school student's murder would be exposed.

The special investigation team is expanding its probe, not ruling out the possibility that even higher-level authorities may have been involved in the leadership's decision-making process.

(Video reporting: Joo Yong-jin | Video editing: Park Ji-in | Design: Han Heung-soo)