Gwangju murder suspect may have known victim, police say
Investigators say newly found evidence points to prior awareness of the high school victim and raises deeper questions about alleged police mishandling of the case.
Jang Yun-gi, who is accused of fatally stabbing a high school girl in downtown Gwangju on Children's Day, May 5, is escorted from the Gwangju Seobu Police Station for transfer to prosecutors on May 14.NEWS1
Police said Wednesday that they uncovered evidence suggesting that Jang Yun-gi, the man accused of killing a high school student in Gwangju, may have known the victim long before the attack, contradicting his claim that the killing was not premeditated.
Jangallegedly killed a female high school student in Gwangsan District on May 5 and injured a male high school student who rushed to the scene after hearing her screams. He was indicted for the killing on June 2.
The National Office of Investigation's special task force said it had found evidence indicating that Jang had been aware of the victim, Lee Chae-won, well before the killing.
Investigators declined to disclose the specific evidence but said it was discovered on a spare mobile phone found in Jang's possession during his arrest.
"The victim did not know Jang, but we have found circumstantial evidence suggesting he deliberately targeted her," a task force official said during a press briefing on its interim findings on Wednesday. "As the investigation is ongoing and out of concern that we could cause secondary harm, we cannot disclose further details."
The task force is also looking into why investigators at Gwangsan Police Station, who initially handled the murder case, failed to pursue that line of inquiry despite recognizing the evidence early in the investigation.
The special task force also said the lead investigator repeatedly instructed subordinates to disregard evidence that could have supported more serious charges than simple murder.
The police inspector at Gwangsan Police Station, who led the investigation, directed team members not to pursue the case from a sexual-crime perspective, effectively limiting the scope of the investigation, according to investigators.
The task force found that a forensic interview report recommending that investigators examine whether the killing had a sexual motive was omitted from the case file despite having been submitted.
A police inspector accused of tampering with evidence in the Jang Yun-gi case arrives at Gwangju District Court for a pretrial detention hearing on July 8.YONHAP
The inspector also allegedly ordered a rewrite of a report that concluded that the rear door of Jang's vehicle appeared to have been open while he was subduing the victim, citing it as inconclusive.
The inspector also ordered investigators to remove specific details from a report concerning Jang's alleged stalking of a former part-time co-worker before the killing, according to the task force. Team members were also instructed to exclude references to a possible sexual motive when attaching other analytical reports.
The task force further alleged that the inspector’s instructions enabled Jang's father, a serving police officer, to tamper with key evidence, including cable ties and a sex doll.
Police returned Jang's vehicle and rented residence to his family after the crime, without first securing physical evidence such as the cable ties, investigators said.
As allegations of preferential treatment intensified, the inspector allegedly ignored orders from senior officials to forward previously omitted investigation records to prosecutors on July 2. On the same day, he also allegedly instructed a subordinate to delete crime scene footage showing the cable ties.
The special task force referred the police inspector to prosecutors on Wednesday on charges including destruction of evidence, dereliction of duty and abuse of authority.
The task force also booked the former Gwangsan Police Station chief and the head of the criminal investigation division, who directly supervised the inspector, for abuse of authority.
Investigators from the National Office of Investigation's special investigation team leave the Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency after completing a search and seizure operation on the morning of July 11.YONHAP
Investigators also booked another police officer from the same violent crimes unit on suspicion of leaking official secrets.
The assistant inspector under the violent crimes unit led by the referred inspector is accused of informing Jang's father of investigative plans, including search and arrest warrants. Investigators confirmed that the two — Jang’s father and the assistant inspector — had previously worked together.
The special task force said it will continue investigating whether the flawed investigation was influenced by orders from senior officials or outside pressure.
Correction, July 17: The date of indictment was corrected to June 2.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
