Only 3 of 16 Reform Tasks After Jang Yungi Case Completed... Gwangju Police 'Come Under Fire' at Audit

Ruling and opposition lawmakers: "Reform lenient treatment of suspect"
Audit ends after 80 minutes amid key witness's absence

During the National Assembly Public Administration and Security Committee's audit of the Gwangju and Jeonnam police agencies, lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties criticized the police over allegations of downplaying and covering up the Jang Yungi case, in which a high school girl was murdered, and attempts to destroy evidence.

Yang Youngwoo, commissioner of the Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency, answers questions from lawmakers during a parliamentary audit of the Gwangju and Jeonnam provincial police agencies by the National Assembly’s Public Administration and Security Committee at the Gwangju office of Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City on the afternoon of the 22nd. Yonhap News Agency

However, the audit exposed limits to uncovering the truth: the head of the investigation team at the time, a key witness, did not appear, and the official responsible for overseeing the case had also moved to another post. The audit ended after just 1 hour and 20 minutes.

The National Assembly Public Administration and Security Committee held an audit of the Gwangju Police Agency and the Jeonnam Police Agency at the Gwangju Government Complex of Jeonnam-Gwangju Special City on the afternoon of the 22nd. The main issue was allegations that the police had gone easy on a suspect whose father was a police officer during the initial investigation of the Jang Yungi case, as well as allegations of organized evidence destruction.

Lee Sangsik of the Democratic Party of Korea criticized the police, saying, "A national task, reforming the prosecution, nearly came to nothing because of the Gwangju police's misconduct." He added, "The Jang Yungi case is a police version of a 'relationship-based crime,' and you are all no different from co-perpetrators." He further rebuked them, saying, "In trying to protect the organization's honor, you brought disgrace upon yourselves. You must make every effort befitting the launch of Jeonnam-Gwangju Special City and take full responsibility."

Criticism also mounted over the failed initial response and the destruction of evidence. Kim Yeji of the People Power Party said, "Even though the police received a report that Jang Yungi had stalked a foreign woman before murdering the high school girl, they did nothing beyond sending a warning message, and a student who was not even 20 years old met a tragic end."

She continued, "It has emerged that the head of the investigation team at the time ordered the deletion of footage of the vehicle search, and that there was even a discussion about saying in court that they 'hadn't seen' the cable tie used in the crime." She said, "Instead of securing evidence, the police took the lead in destroying it."

Some also argued that the Gwangju Police Agency's reform measures amounted to little more than a superficial response. Jung Chunsaeng of the Rebuilding Korea Party criticized the agency, saying, "Of the 16 improvement measures the Gwangju police announced after the Jang Yungi case, only three have been completed: overhauling the command system for major cases, improving the handling of cases involving police officers' family members, and strengthening media relations." She added, "Progress has been slow on the most important measures, including preventing leaks of investigation secrets and expanding legal review support for major cases."

Yang Youngwoo, commissioner of the Gwangju Police Agency, replied, "We will take the lawmakers' criticism seriously, ensure thoroughness from the initial investigation onward, and accelerate measures to prevent a recurrence."

However, Kim Younggeun, the former commissioner who was ultimately responsible for the case at the time, had moved to a post as director of the National Police Agency's Crime Prevention and Response Bureau and did not take the witness seat. The questioning was limited to asking the newly appointed Commissioner Yang, who took office last month, about general follow-up measures.

In addition, Park, a former inspector and head of the violent crimes team at Gwangsan Police Station in Gwangju, a key witness indicted and detained on charges of instructing the destruction of evidence and leaking official secrets, did not appear after submitting a written explanation citing the ongoing trial.

As a result, the audit failed to probe key allegations, including how the command and reporting system was distorted at the time and whether senior officials intervened. It rushed to a close after just over 80 minutes, without even supplementary questions. Kim Youngjin, chair of the Public Administration and Security Committee, said, "After consulting with the committee's party floor leaders, we will decide on follow-up measures, including filing a criminal complaint against the witness who failed to appear."

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