The Exposed Face of "Local Police" Breached by Connections... Investigations Buried by "Hyanggyeong" Revealed [Column: Prosecutorial Supplementary Investigations Sparked by Jang Yoon-gi] ①

At Least 20 Known Cases in Daegu, Gwangju, and Busan

Active-Duty Police Officers Acting as De Facto Office Managers

Investigative Secrets Such as Warrant Plans Leaked

Bribes Accepted for Case Cover-ups and Concealment

The case of Jang Yoon-gi, in which the father, an incumbent police officer, used his position to destroy key evidence in the 'high school girl murder case,' starkly illustrates how the so-called 'Daddy Chance' and resulting unfairness—major issues in Korean society—can extend their influence into the investigative process through family and the local police network (hyang-gyeong, or local police with regional ties).

Yonhap News Agency

Immediately after the incident in May, the police handed over the vehicle used by Jang Yoon-gi before and after the crime to his father after only conducting an initial inspection, failing to secure key evidence such as cable ties found in the car. Ultimately, it was not until July 7 that the prosecution confiscated the actual cable ties from Jang Yoon-gi's father's residence. Jang's rented room was also turned over to his father just three days after the incident. The prosecution's supplementary investigation revealed that crucial evidence, including a sex doll and mobile phone, had been disposed of. Eventually, on July 8, the head of the investigative team at Gwangsan Police Station in Gwangju, who was in charge of the case, was arrested for evidence destruction.

The problem is that this incident cannot be seen as an isolated case of misconduct by individual officers. There have been repeated cases of incumbent police officers leaking investigation information or covering up cases, not only for family and acquaintances but also involving brokers and local businesspeople. Particularly, when local police officers, who rarely undergo personnel transfers, form long-standing relationships with local power brokers and legal fixers, this leads to structural corruption, where investigative information is leaked to outsiders and suspects are able to destroy evidence or coordinate their statements. Since the police's internal self-regulation has shown clear limitations, there are growing calls for external judicial oversight mechanisms to prevent abuse and misconduct during investigations.

◆Confidential Information Leaked via Connections

In Busan, police connections were used for case referrals and evidence destruction. The Busan District Prosecutors' Office indicted four incumbent police officers last year for leaking investigative secrets to a representative lawyer at a local law firm. The law firm effectively hired the police officer as an office manager and mobilized current and former police connections to obtain information on warrant application plans, arrest status, and forensic results. One officer introduced the law firm to a rape suspect by saying, "There is a senior police officer there, so they will take care of it," and suspects in an unresolved aggravated rape case received investigative information, turned off their mobile phones, and changed their SIM cards within 20 minutes.

In Daegu, cash payments in exchange for leniency and information leaks by police were also uncovered. In July 2024, the Daegu District Prosecutors' Office indicted 19 people, including criminal case brokers and police officers, during an investigation into an illegal gambling website case worth several tens of billions of won. After some members of the gambling ring's management were arrested by police in July 2023, the ringleader paid 50 million won to a broker for leniency, and police officers informed them of the issuance and execution plans for arrest warrants. The ringleader was provided with burner phones and vehicles to escape, and the prosecution's supplementary investigation uncovered a separate management organization.

◆Leniency and Cover-ups in Exchange for Money

In Gwangju, in February 2024, local brokers orchestrated both leniency and lobbying. The brokers received about 1.8 billion won from a cryptocurrency fraud suspect for leniency and were found to have provided money and entertainment to incumbent police officers.

There have also been cases where those involved in cases and police officers effectively acted as a team. In January 2023, the Eastern Branch of the Busan District Prosecutors' Office indicted a police officer investigating allegations of bribery in the Busan Superintendent of Education election for leaking official secrets. The officer reflected only the suspect's opinion in the decision not to refer the case for prosecution, and when the prosecutor requested a reinvestigation, he informed the suspect and their lawyer about the renewed investigation and the contents of the request. Ultimately, without any additional investigation, he again decided not to refer the case for prosecution, but the prosecution later directly investigated and indicted four individuals.

There have also been instances where police officers turned a blind eye to crimes under investigation. In March 2023, the Daegu District Prosecutors' Office arrested and charged a police officer from the Daegu Metropolitan Police Agency's Cyber Investigation Unit. In February 2019, this officer investigated a counterfeit luxury goods case but failed to charge the supplier of the fake bank accounts. In January 2020, he checked the personal details of the account holders through the Criminal Justice Information System, provided the information, and received 20 million won in return for helping withdraw 57.72 million won in criminal proceeds.

Other known cases since the adjustment of investigative authority between police and prosecution include the May 2024 case of brothel operation cover-up in Wonju, the July 2023 leak of gambling den crackdown information in Ulsan, and the January 2023 collusion between prostitution operators and gambling offenders in Pyeongtaek—at least 20 cases in total. However, if cases are closed at the police stage without referral or are concluded based solely on internal records, they are rarely exposed to the public.

A lawyer who previously served as a chief prosecutor emphasized, "Criminal justice is a matter that can determine a person's entire life, so it is vital to filter out any distortions that may arise during the investigation and decision-making processes."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.