[Anchor]

The police special investigation team has stated that they have uncovered evidence suggesting that Jang Yun-gi knew the high school girl he murdered long before the crime took place. The special investigation team believes that the initial investigation team was aware of these circumstances but failed to pursue them.

Reporter Son Gijun has the story.

[Reporter]

During the announcement of interim investigation results yesterday (July 15), the police special investigation team stated, "There were signs that Jang Yun-gi targeted the victimized high school girl in a premeditated manner."

They explained that evidence suggesting "Jang Yun-gi did not just know the victim unilaterally" was found on a spare mobile phone belonging to Jang, which was seized during the initial police investigation.

The special investigation team estimates that the point at which he came to know the victim was long before the incident occurred. Jang, however, has claimed during his pre-arrest interrogation and other proceedings that it was an impulsive crime against a stranger.

[Jang Yun-gi (May 7): (Why did you attack the student?) I did not know she was a female student when I did it.]

Although the initial investigation team identified related circumstances on May 8, they did not conduct further investigations or verification. They referred Jang to the prosecution on charges of impulsive murder, omitting any potential sexual offense motive.

The special investigation team revealed that the arrested investigation team leader, Inspector A, instructed team members not to "frame it as a sexual crime." He also ordered the deletion of a report noting that the rear door of Jang's car appeared to be open at the time of the crime and failed to seize key evidence, including a real doll and cable ties.

[Oh Dong-wook/Head of the Special Investigation Team, National Office of Investigation: (Inspector A) claimed that he 'omitted evidence such as the real doll and cable ties because he judged them not to be key evidence for the murder,' while also testifying that 'he was instructed by superiors not to link the stalking and murder cases.']

The special investigation team referred Inspector A to the prosecution yesterday and summoned his direct superior, the former head of the detective division at Gwangsan Police Station, for questioning as a suspect in the afternoon.

Inspector A's side stated regarding the special investigation team's interim results that they appear to be artificial and one-sided inferences, and that they will clarify their position during the prosecution's investigation and trial.

(Video coverage: Jang Chang-geon, KBC | Video editing: Choi Hye-ran | Design: Jo Su-in)