Did Jang Yoon-gi Know the Victim in Advance? Police Say "Not True"

Possibility That the Suspect Knew the Victim One-Sidedly Raised First
Police Later Correct Their Initial Announcement

The police have concluded that Jang Yoon-gi, who murdered a high school girl he had never met before, did not know the victim in advance. This reverses the earlier police briefing in which officers mentioned the possibility and cited some evidence to suggest it, but have since corrected the information, stating that it was not true.

The Special Investigation Unit of the National Police Agency announced on the 22nd that they had investigated the “evidence suggesting that Jang Yoon-gi may have unilaterally known the victim,” mentioned during the interim investigation briefing on the 15th, and confirmed that it was not true. A representative of the Special Unit stated, “We conducted a multi-faceted investigation, including executing a search warrant related to this issue, but have concluded that Jang Yoon-gi did not have any relationship or acquaintance with the victim before the crime.”

National Police Agency, Seoul Seodaemun-gu. Yonhap News Agency

Previously, during the interim briefing, the Special Unit noted, “There were suggestions that Jang Yoon-gi may have been aware of the victim well before the crime, and we were checking the relevant evidence. The initial investigation team at that time also identified related circumstances but appears to have referred the case to prosecutors without sufficient verification.”

At that time, the focus of the police investigation was Jang Yoon-gi’s unused mobile phone, with the implication that some relevant evidence existed on it. By the following week, the police corrected their stance, explaining, “The reason we checked this was to clarify errors made by the investigative authorities, who failed to identify a crucial clue that could determine whether there was a sexual motive.”

The police added, “In this process, we failed to explain and ask for the understanding of the victim’s family in advance, but on the day of the announcement, we met the family and sincerely apologized for not being more considerate. To this day, we maintain regular communication and share details as needed.”

An official from the Special Unit stated, “We would like to extend another sincere apology to the victim’s family for any shortcomings in the investigation. We will continue to communicate closely and conduct a careful and transparent investigation.”

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