As allegations of evidence destruction emerge in the case of Jang Yoon-ki, 23, accused of murdering a high school student, the police investigation team and its leadership have been excluded from their duties.
According to Yonhap News on July 7, the National Police Agency and Gwangju Gwangsan Police Station have placed six individuals on standby, including the chief of the Gwangsan Police Station and the head of the criminal investigation division, along with four officers from the investigation team.
The police have also suspended the team leader, Officer A, who is facing a request for an arrest warrant on charges of evidence destruction. The duties of the vacant team leader position will be assumed by the head of the criminal investigation support team, and to minimize disruption in the investigation, the existing five-team shift system will be changed to a four-team full-time operation.
Officer A is accused of failing to secure key evidence, such as cable ties and a realistic doll, during the search of Jang Yoon-ki's SUV shortly after the incident in May. There are also allegations that he instructed the deletion of video footage taken inside the vehicle before and after the crime, although the police maintain that no confirmed facts have emerged to support this claim.
A police official stated, "This is a measure to ensure the fairness and objectivity of the investigation," adding that a dedicated investigation team from the National Police Agency is looking into all related allegations.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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