Police Officer Father of Gwangju Murder Suspect Placed on Leave; Prosecutors Conduct Additional Raids

A police inspector surnamed Jang, who is the father of Jang Yoon-gi, the perpetrator of the Gwangju high school student murder case, has been placed on administrative leave.

The Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency announced the decision to place Inspector Jang on leave today, July 7.

It was confirmed that after the Jang Yoon-gi case occurred in May, Inspector Jang received the address and door passcode of the suspect's studio apartment from the investigation team and disposed of items including a sex doll found inside.

The sex doll is considered one of the key pieces of evidence to prove Jang Yoon-gi's sex crime charges.

The police agency had been conducting an internal inspection since July 3 regarding allegations that Inspector Jang destroyed evidence, and it is reported that most of the related suspicions have been confirmed as true.

However, under the special provisions for relatives, Inspector Jang may be excluded from criminal punishment.

Nevertheless, it appears this decision was made based on the judgment that it is inappropriate for him to maintain his position while serving as an active-duty police officer.

In fact, the police agency stated in a press release today that "if misconduct is confirmed as a result of the inspection, disciplinary action may be taken in accordance with relevant laws such as the State Public Officials Act and the Police Disciplinary Decree."

Meanwhile, the Gwangju District Prosecutors Office also booked the former investigation team leader and two team members today on charges of destroying evidence and leaking official secrets, and conducted search and seizure operations.

It is known that Inspector Jang's mobile phone was included in the scope of the search and seizure during this process.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.