Police chief vows to stake career on probe into evidence-tampering allegations in Gwangju murder case

South Korea's top police investigator pledged Monday to stake his career on a thorough probe after allegations emerged that officers had destroyed evidence in the case of Jang Yun-gi, the 23-year-old convicted of murdering a high school girl in Gwangju. Police, who had been conducting an internal audit, said they found concrete signs of criminal conduct and converted the matter into a full criminal investigation.

Hong Seok-gi, director of the Korean National Police Agency's National Investigation Headquarters, made the pledge at a regular press briefing at the agency's headquarters in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, on Monday. "We will do our utmost in the Jang Yun-gi case and pursue the investigation with everything on the line," he said.

Hong's remarks came as suspicions mounted that Jang's father, a serving police officer, and associates had tampered with evidence in the case. The Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency said it arrested an inspector surnamed A, attached to the criminal investigations unit of the Gwangju Gwangsan Police Station — the team that handled the Jang case — on suspicion of destroying evidence at around 7 a.m. Monday.

Inspector A, who had served as the team leader on the case, is suspected of destroying some evidence during a search and seizure of Jang's vehicle shortly after the crime on May 5.

The investigation into possible misconduct was launched after it became known that Jang's father was a senior serving police officer, triggering public controversy over the adequacy of the original investigation. When specific signs of criminal conduct emerged during the audit, police converted it into a formal investigation.

Officers who conducted the original search and seizure handed over key physical evidence — including a damaged sex doll found at Jang's rented room — to his family without preserving the items. After Jang was taken into custody, his father entered the room, cut the sex doll into multiple pieces and discarded them. Several mobile phones from Jang's school years are also believed to have been incinerated.

Confronted with those facts, Hong said he was at a loss for words. "That is precisely why police immediately launched an internal audit," he said. "During the audit, matters were found that warranted conversion to a criminal investigation, and I have ordered a strict probe."

"The relevant procedures are now under way," he added. "We will investigate thoroughly and bring everything to light so that not a single doubt remains."

Asked whether it was appropriate for the Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency — the very agency to which the suspected officers belong — to be conducting the evidence-destruction investigation, Hong acknowledged the concern. "That is a fair point to raise," he said. "There are issues involving custody and jurisdiction, but we will ensure the investigation is conducted impartially by the anti-corruption unit, not the regular investigative chain, so that not an ounce of suspicion falls on the process."

Asked whether the Gwangju agency itself could become a target of the investigation and audit, Hong said it was difficult to prejudge the outcome but added, "Not just the police station — everything is subject to investigation and audit."