National Police Agency: "Jang Yoon-gi's Father Can Face Disciplinary Action Even If Exempt from Criminal Punishment"

The National Police Agency (NPA) has stated that Inspector Jang, a serving police officer and the father of Jang Yoon-gi, the perpetrator of the Gwangju high school girl murder case, could still face internal disciplinary action even if he is excluded from criminal punishment regarding allegations of evidence destruction.

In a press notice released today (July 7), the NPA stated, "Even if an individual is excluded from criminal punishment under the special provisions for relatives in the Criminal Act, if misconduct is confirmed through an inspection, disciplinary measures will be taken in accordance with relevant laws, such as the State Public Officials Act and the Police Official Disciplinary Decree."

Article 155 of the Criminal Act stipulates punishment for those who destroy evidence related to another person's criminal case, but it includes a special provision for relatives that exempts them from punishment if they commit the crime for the sake of a family member.

The NPA plans to strengthen management measures for cases where a police officer's family member is the subject of an investigation.

Currently, the "Inquiry Prohibition System" is in place, which bans police officers from asking investigators about ongoing cases, with disciplinary action taken for any violations.

The NPA further explained that it applies high-intensity measures to those who leak investigative information, including referring them for criminal investigation, removing them from their duties, and barring them from investigative departments.

The NPA stated, "We will analyze the issues identified through this incident and consider preparing additional measures to enhance the transparency of handling cases involving relatives of police officers."
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.