Police Exclude Officers in Jang Yoon-ki Case Amid Evidence Tampering Allegations

Police exclude investigation team and Gwangsan police chief in Jang Yoon-ki case

Police have excluded the investigation team and leadership involved in the case of Jang Yoon-ki, 23, who is accused of murdering a high school student, amid allegations of evidence tampering.

According to Yonhap News on July 7, the National Police Agency and Gwangju Gwangsan Police Station have placed six individuals on standby, including the Gwangsan police chief 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 allegations of evidence tampering, following a request for an arrest warrant. The duties of the team leader 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 system.

Officer A is accused of failing to secure key evidence, such as cable ties and a sex doll, during a 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 police investigation team is looking into the related allegations.

Next-generation medium-sized satellite successfully enters orbit and makes first contact

The next-generation medium-sized satellite, designed for agricultural and forestry observation, has successfully entered orbit and is preparing for its mission. With the capability to capture images of the entire country every three days, it is expected to enhance disaster response capabilities for agricultural conditions and forest changes, including wildfires and landslides.

According to Yonhap News on July 7, the next-generation medium-sized satellite was launched at 4:12 PM (Korean time) from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The satellite separated from the rocket approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes later and successfully made first contact with the Svalbard ground station in Norway at 7:05 PM. The Korea Aerospace Research Institute confirmed that the satellite is functioning normally and has reached its target sun-synchronous orbit at an altitude of approximately 888 kilometers.

Developed by Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) based on a 500 kg standard platform, the satellite weighs 514 kg and is equipped with an optical camera with a 120 km observation width and 5-meter spatial resolution to monitor crop growth, agricultural land, and forest resources. It is expected to improve the efficiency of agricultural observation and forest information gathering by capturing images of the Korean Peninsula in just two to three passes.

The government plans to accelerate the establishment of a data-driven agricultural and digital forest management system following this satellite launch. The Rural Development Administration aims to enhance crop yield predictions and agricultural disaster response systems using satellite imagery and artificial intelligence (AI), while the Korea Forest Service plans to utilize it for more rapid and accurate monitoring of forest disasters such as wildfires and landslides.

Special prosecutor requests arrest warrant for former National Security Office official over martial law justification

The second comprehensive special prosecutor team, led by Kwon Chang-young, has requested an arrest warrant for Kim Tae-hyo, the former first deputy director of the National Security Office, amid an investigation into allegations related to the martial law declared on December 3.

According to Yonhap News on July 7, the special prosecutor's team has applied charges of important duties related to insurrection and obstruction of the exercise of authority against Kim. They believe Kim was involved in conveying a message justifying the martial law to key allied countries, including the United States, through diplomatic officials immediately after its declaration.

The special prosecutor's team has identified that the message included content asserting that the martial law was necessary to protect liberal democracy and constitutional order, along with explanations of the state of national governance at the time.

In contrast, they determined that Shin Won-sik, the former director of the National Security Office, was not significantly involved and therefore did not request an arrest warrant for him.

Samsung SDS union secures majority support and demands collective bargaining

The Samsung SDS labor union has achieved majority support among employees just one day after its establishment, effectively securing its status as the representative bargaining union. The union has formally requested collective bargaining with the company.

According to Yonhap News on July 7, the Samsung SDS branch of the Samsung Group's mega corporate labor union reported that its membership exceeded 5,650 as of 6:50 PM that day. The union considers this number to surpass the majority threshold of 5,644, which is half of the total 11,287 employees.

The union submitted a request for collective bargaining to Lee Jun-hee, the CEO of Samsung SDS, and the company has acknowledged the request and initiated the bargaining process. Under current labor union laws, a majority union gains the status of a representative bargaining union.

As a representative bargaining union, it will negotiate collective agreements regarding wages, bonuses, benefits, and working conditions. Consequently, the union is expected to have increased influence in future negotiations concerning major personnel and compensation systems, including the restructuring of the bonus system.

[Weather Forecast] Central regions to face heavy rain while heat continues

On Wednesday, July 8, rain is expected across most of the country. Particularly, heavy rain is forecasted for the central regions and North Jeolla Province, while temperatures are expected to remain above 30 degrees Celsius in most areas, continuing the heat wave.

The Korea Meteorological Administration stated on July 7, "Rain will fall across most regions from early July 8 until the night of July 9," adding that very heavy rain accompanied by strong winds and thunderstorms is expected in the central regions, North Jeolla, northwestern South Jeolla, and northern and central North Gyeongsang.

Expected rainfall amounts include 50 to 100 mm in Seoul, Incheon, Gyeonggi, and the western five islands (from July 7), and 50 to 150 mm in the inland and mountainous areas of Gangwon, with some areas receiving over 150 mm. Daejeon, Sejong, and South Chungcheong are expected to see 80 to 150 mm, with some areas exceeding 200 mm. North Chungcheong is forecasted to receive 50 to 100 mm (with some areas over 150 mm), while northwestern South Jeolla is expected to see 30 to 80 mm (with some areas over 100 mm), and northern and central North Gyeongsang is expected to receive 30 to 80 mm (with some areas over 120 mm).

The eastern coast of Gangwon is expected to see 5 to 50 mm, while Gwangju and South Jeolla (excluding northwestern areas) are expected to receive 10 to 40 mm, southern North Gyeongsang is forecasted for 20 to 60 mm, western inland areas of South Gyeongsang are expected to see 5 to 40 mm, and Jeju Island is expected to receive around 5 mm.

The Korea Meteorological Administration warned that heavy rain advisories may be issued for the central regions, northwestern South Jeolla, and northern and central North Gyeongsang, urging caution against safety accidents such as flooding in low-lying areas, river overflow, and damage to facilities.

Despite the rain, the heat wave is expected to persist. Currently, heat advisories are in effect for southeastern Gyeonggi, southern Gangwon, Daejeon, central and southern North Chungcheong, northwestern North Jeolla, southeastern South Jeolla, and some areas of Gyeongsang. For the time being, daytime temperatures are expected to exceed 30 degrees Celsius in most inland areas, with perceived temperatures around 31 degrees, and in areas under heat advisories, temperatures may soar above 33 degrees.

* This article has been translated by AI.

Younsun Choi solarchoi@ajunews.com