Seoul: The acting national police chief will cut short his trip to the United States and return home early amid growing controversy over the police response to a high-profile murder case, the agency announced Wednesday. Acting National Police Agency Commissioner Yoo Jae-seong is currently in the U.S. to attend the United Nations Chiefs of Police Summit (UNCOPS) but will return home on Friday "given public concern and interest" regarding the recent murder case involving a 17-year-old female high school student.
According to Yonhap News Agency, allegations have intensified over possible ties between local investigators and the father of Jang Yoon-gi, the suspect accused of killing the female student and attempting to murder a 17-year-old male student in the southwestern city of Gwangju in May. The suspect's father is a serving police officer in the city, which has further fueled the controversy. As part of the investigation, multiple officers at Gwangju's Gwangsan Police Station have been stripped of their duties and placed under investigation by a special probe team established by the National Police Agency. The allegations include leaking investigative information and destroying evidence related to the case.
Prosecutors have conducted search and seizure operations at both the police station and the residence of Jang's father. Police sought an arrest warrant for the officer who led the murder investigation due to suspicions of misconduct. The Gwangju District Court approved the request on Wednesday, citing risks of evidence destruction and flight.
The special probe team, according to sources, recently secured testimony indicating that the murder case investigation team leader instructed his colleagues to leave potentially important evidence, such as cable ties found in Jang's vehicle, untouched. These items are believed to be crucial in establishing the motive for the alleged crime as they may have been intended for restraining the victim. The cable ties were recovered during the search and seizure operation, and investigators found that Jang's father had removed them from the vehicle.
The probe team is currently examining the circumstances surrounding the instruction and whether it involved the police chain of command. This controversy emerges at a time when lawmakers are debating whether to abolish prosecutors' authority to request supplementary investigations, raising questions about the police's capacity to independently handle major criminal cases.