Gwangsan Police leadership referred to prosecutors over Jang Yoon-gi case investigation

A special investigation team within the Korean National Police Agency has referred the former chief of the Gwangsan Police Station and a criminal division head to prosecutors for abuse of power and dereliction of duty regarding the Jang Yoon-gi murder case.

The investigation concluded that the Gwangsan Police Station leadership intentionally downgraded the charges from murder with sexual intent to general murder to avoid scrutiny over their inadequate response to prior stalking and sexual assault reports. The team also identified evidence destruction, noting that a division head ordered the early return of a suspect's vehicle, preventing further forensic examination. Additionally, a police officer was accused of leaking investigative secrets to the suspect's father.

These findings directly contradict recent actions by the Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office, which indicted four former leaders of the National Investigation Headquarters (NID) for abuse of power, alleging they improperly ordered the separation of the murder and stalking investigations. However, the special investigation team maintained that the NID's directives were legitimate and aimed at ensuring professional investigation standards, finding no evidence of an attempt to conceal or downplay the case at the national headquarters level.