GWANGJU — Prosecutors have indicted Park Sung-joo, former head of the National Office of Investigation at the Korean National Police Agency, over allegations that police mishandled the investigation into the Jang Yoon-gi murder case.
The Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office said on the 2nd that Park was indicted without detention on charges including abuse of authority. In May, prosecutors also indicted three other senior police officials on the same charges, including the heads of the violent crime investigation division and the women and juvenile crime investigation division at the National Office of Investigation.
Park and the others are accused of ordering that the stalking and sexual assault cases Jang committed before the killing be investigated separately by the women and juvenile affairs division, while the murder was handled by the criminal affairs division — despite repeated recommendations to the contrary from the front-line investigation team. Prosecutors concluded that the order left the Gwangsan Police Station in Gwangju, which handled the case, unable to fully investigate the connection between the two cases, and that police ultimately referred Jang to prosecutors on a simple murder charge rather than rape-murder.
At the time, police were facing sharp criticism over their mishandling of a stalking-related revenge killing in Namyangju. Investigators also found shortcomings in the sexual assault and stalking case that Jang committed against a female co-worker at a part-time job shortly before he killed a high school girl, including a failure to make a "callback" to confirm the victim's safety within 24 hours of the report.
Prosecutors believe Park ordered the cases split out of concern that police would face criticism that the killing could have been prevented had officers responded properly at the outset. In the process, according to prosecutors, he said, "This isn't something we need to bring up first, is it?" and "Keep the rape case quiet, don't let it be opened up."
Police later referred Jang to prosecutors on charges including ordinary murder, which carries a minimum sentence of five years in prison. Prosecutors, however, conducted further investigation and indicted him on a rape-murder charge, which is punishable only by life imprisonment or death. At a final hearing held recently at the Gwangju District Court, prosecutors demanded the death penalty for Jang.
Shin Tae-hoon, deputy chief prosecutor at the Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office, said at a press briefing that day that the case "revealed improper intervention by the top command of the police investigation apparatus in a front-line investigation." He added that he hoped it would "serve as an occasion to block similar forms of interference in investigations and to guarantee the legitimate exercise of investigative authority by front-line agencies."
Park pushed back in a statement, saying his orders were normal instructions. "I clearly noted in the referral records that additional investigation was needed, listing the investigative items on motive and purpose that could not be fully established within the detention period," he said. "I merely gave routine instructions to investigate thoroughly by function and to maintain confidentiality so that no doubt would remain about the case."
Meanwhile, prosecutors said that during supplementary investigation they found indications that Jang's father, an active-duty police officer, disposed of a "real doll" that was key physical evidence and repeatedly received updates on the investigation. Based on that, they have also opened an investigation into alleged misconduct by officers who handled the case.
Prosecutors indicted the head of a violent crime team in the criminal affairs division at Gwangsan Police Station with detention on charges including aiding the destruction of evidence and leaking official secrets, and indicted one team member without detention. Two supervisors, including the head of the criminal affairs division and the station chief, were also booked on charges including aiding the destruction of evidence. The first hearing for the violent crime team leader and others sent to trial is scheduled for the afternoon of the 14th of this month.
