'Jang Yun-gi Case': Police Chief Booked as Investigation Expands to Senior Leadership

Jang Yun-gi Admits to Murder with Intent of Sexual Assault at Second Trial

The former chief of the Gwangsan Police Station in Gwangju, who led the investigation at the time of the Jang Yoon-gi case involving the murder of a high school girl unknown to him, has now been named a suspect. The investigation into alleged misconduct and cover-up is expanding to senior members of the police leadership.

On July 14, the Special Investigation Unit of the National Police Agency announced that it has booked the former Gwangsan Police Station chief and the former head of the criminal investigation division on charges including abuse of power and obstruction of the exercise of rights. Additional charges of abuse of power have also been brought against Inspector A, the former investigation team leader who had previously been arrested for evidence destruction.

The Special Investigation Unit of the National Police Agency conducted a search and seizure operation at the Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency on the 11th. Photo by Yonhap News

The Special Investigation Unit is examining why key evidence, such as cable ties found in the vehicle used to commit the crime, was not secured during the initial investigation of the Jang Yoon-gi case. The probe is also looking into allegations of the deletion of video recordings and the leakage of investigative information. The main question is whether the then police chief and other superiors exercised undue influence over subordinates to systematically conceal the case. Investigators believe it is unlikely that the evidence in a murder case was covered up solely at the discretion of the investigation team leader.

The Special Investigation Unit plans to hand over the case within this week, before Inspector A’s detention period expires, and to focus its efforts on the senior chain of command. Meanwhile, prosecutors have summoned the former criminal investigation division head—previously booked for leaking official secrets—for questioning. They are scrutinizing the process by which the charges against Jang Yoon-gi were transferred as simple murder, rather than rape and murder.

Meanwhile, Jang Yoon-gi, who had previously claimed the crime was impulsive, admitted during the second trial held at the Gwangju District Court Criminal Division 13 that he had the intention to commit sexual assault at the time of the killing and acknowledged the prosecution’s facts.

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