Jang Yoon-ki's murder case of the late Lee Chae-won and past sexual crimes were ordered to be investigated separately by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), according to testimonies from police officers involved at the time.
On July 20, Yonhap News reported that officers who investigated or supported the case claimed they received directives from the NIA to conduct separate investigations for the murder and sexual crime cases.
The sexual crime in question occurred on May 3, two days before Lee Chae-won's murder, when Jang Yoon-ki allegedly raped a female acquaintance of Southeast Asian nationality. Officers stated that after the case was reported to another local police station, a joint investigation was considered, but the NIA instructed that it be investigated separately by the women's youth division.
As a result, the separation of the two cases complicated the investigation into applying charges of murder for the purpose of rape against Jang Yoon-ki. Prior to the case being sent to prosecutors, there were internal discussions within the investigation team about applying the charge of murder for the purpose of rape, but it was ultimately not reflected in the final report.
Currently, the NIA's special investigation team is looking into allegations that A, the former head of the criminal division at the Gwangju Gwangsan Police Station, ordered the separation of the investigations, which could constitute abuse of authority. A pre-arrest interrogation for A is scheduled to take place on July 21 at the Gwangju District Court.
The NIA stated, "The investigation process, including whether there was an order for separate investigations, is a matter that needs to be clarified through future investigations." If it is confirmed that the NIA was indeed the authority behind the separate investigations, significant repercussions are expected.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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