Special Investigation Team Summons Head of Criminal Investigation Division Over 'Jang Yunki Case'

The police investigating alleged misconduct in the probe of the Gwangju high school girl murder case involving Jang Yunki have summoned the head of the criminal investigation division who oversaw the case at the time.

The special investigation team of the National Police Agency finished a search and seizure operation at the Gwangju Police Agency on the morning of the 11th and is moving afterward. Photo by Yonhap News

On July 12, the Special Investigation Team of the National Police Agency Investigation Headquarters announced that it had called in Superintendent A, who was the head of the Criminal Investigation Division at Gwangsan Police Station in Gwangju during the Jang Yunki case, for questioning as a reference witness. Superintendent A was part of the command line that supervised the overall investigation, including the arrest, detention, and referral of Jang Yunki.

The Special Investigation Team is reportedly questioning Superintendent A about the decision-making process and circumstances surrounding the application of the general murder charge, rather than the charge of rape-murder, to Jang Yunki at the time.

The investigation is also ongoing into Inspector B, the former head of the investigation team at Gwangsan Police Station, who was arrested and detained on charges of destruction of evidence.

The police are examining why cable ties found in Jang Yunki's car were not secured as evidence, as well as reviewing the contents of multiple phone conversations between Jang Yunki’s father, an active-duty police officer, and the investigation team.

In addition, investigators are looking into whether any special accommodations were provided to Jang Yunki during a ten-day period in which he met with his parents while under police investigation.

On the previous day, the Special Investigation Team carried out search and seizure operations at the offices of the Gwangju Police Agency Chief, the Head of Investigations, and the Violent Crimes Unit Chief, as well as the offices of the Gwangsan Police Station Chief and Criminal Investigation Division Head. All individuals subject to the search and seizure operations are currently being treated as reference witnesses.

The current investigation into alleged misconduct was sparked after it belatedly emerged that Jang Yunki’s father, who is an active police officer, had destroyed evidence related to the heinous crime. The police failed to secure items such as a sex doll and cable ties—which could have helped prove the sexual crime aspect of Jang Yunki’s offense—as evidence, leading to suspicions of destruction of evidence, leaks of investigative secrets, and collusion between the investigation team and Jang Yunki’s father. These suspicions have prompted both the police and the prosecution to launch investigations.

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