PPP: "Jang Yoon-gi Case Would Have Been Covered Up Without Prosecution's Supplementary Investigation"

The People Power Party (PPP) urged the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) today, July 7, to halt its push to abolish the prosecution's supplementary investigation authority, highlighting flaws in police investigations revealed by the Gwangju high school girl murder case.
As the DPK moves to pass a bill to abolish supplementary investigation authority (Criminal Procedure Act) before its August 17 national convention under the guise of completing "prosecutorial reform," the ruling party has ramped up pressure following revelations that the prosecution's supplementary investigation changed the charges against Jang Yoon-gi from simple murder to rape-murder, and uncovered that Jang's father had destroyed evidence.
During the floor strategy meeting today, Floor Leader Jeong Jeom-sik said of the Jang Yoon-gi case, "Initially, the police displayed strange behavior by not seizing a sex doll found at Jang Yoon-gi's residence, nor the vehicle where bloodstains and fingerprints were collected." He added, "This case is not merely a matter of poor police investigation, but a case of intentional crime concealment compounded by twisted internal collusion."
He continued, "If it were not for the prosecution's supplementary investigation, the truth of the case might have been buried forever. In this situation, we cannot entrust criminal investigations solely to the police."
"The public is now questioning the police's qualifications to conduct investigations," he said.
He urged the opposition party, saying, "We call for a halt to the abolition of the prosecution's supplementary investigation authority until the police fully restore public trust in their criminal investigation capabilities." He further proposed the formation of a consultative body between the ruling and opposition parties and the government to discuss the reorganization of the criminal investigation system, stating, "Furthermore, we urge a zero-base review of the Republic of Korea's criminal investigation system reform, which followed the adjustment of investigative powers between the prosecution and police under the Moon Jae-in administration."
Kim Mi-ae, the senior deputy floor leader for policy, also asked, "This Jang Yoon-gi case is a prime example of why the prosecution's supplementary investigation authority is necessary." She added, "I cannot help but ask whether it is truly for the people to grant the police a monopoly on investigative power and even abolish the prosecution's supplementary investigation authority in such a situation."
She emphasized, "Cases such as the 20-year sexual assault of a stepdaughter, the group assault and death of the late director Kim Chang-min, and the case where a 60-year-old voice phishing victim recovered 134 million won, which was their entire life savings, were all cases where the substantive truth was uncovered and rectified through the prosecution's supplementary investigations."
Senior Spokesperson Choi Bo-yoon also stated in a commentary, "It was the prosecution's supplementary investigation that uncovered the ugly full picture of this case, which the police almost buried as a simple murder." She argued, "Without the prosecution's reinvestigation, (Jang Yoon-gi) would have received a lighter sentence for simple murder instead of rape-murder and would have been released back into society."
She further emphasized, "Together with the public, we will do everything in our power to ensure that 'the abolition of supplementary investigation authority' is blocked so that second and third Jang Yoon-gi cases cannot take root."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.