'Police were accomplices of Jang Yun-gi,' victim's family cries — Korean National Police Agency launches reform task force

The Korean National Police Agency is launching a task force composed of outside figures to address allegations that investigators leaked case information and attempted to systematically cover up the crimes of Jang Yun-gi, who is accused of killing a high school girl.

The agency announced Thursday that it plans to form a "reform task force to enhance trust in police investigations" in connection with the Jang case. The task force will be chaired by a prominent outside figure, with the aim of preventing similar incidents and establishing stricter oversight of police investigations.

Outside figures will fill not only the chairperson role but also a majority of the task force's membership, the agency said. The body will conduct a comprehensive review of similar cases across all police agencies nationwide and examine the overall police investigation system to develop measures to improve public trust.

Separately, the agency said it will establish an internal corruption investigation unit directly under the National Investigation Headquarters chief. "We will create the internal corruption investigation unit independently of the task force to ensure a strict response to investigative misconduct," the agency said.

Acting Police Commissioner General Yoo Jae-seong, who is in the United States to attend the UN Conference of Police Chiefs, is scheduled to return home Friday and immediately convene a video conference with police leadership to discuss the agency's response to the Jang case.

Jang is accused of abducting Lee Chae-won, 16, a student he had never met, in Gwangju, South Jeolla Province, on May 5, and killing her with a weapon after she resisted his attempt to sexually assault her.

Police initially transferred Jang on a simple murder charge, but a supplementary investigation by prosecutors uncovered evidence of sexual assault intent. Jang was indicted on charges of rape-murder on June 2.

During that supplementary investigation, prosecutors found indications that members of the police investigation team had leaked case information to Jang's father — a senior police officer — and had participated in destroying evidence. The agency formed a special investigation team Monday to look into the matter.

The victim's family held a news conference Wednesday and pleaded for accountability. "The police were not an investigative agency that cracks down on crime — they became one with the perpetrator, handled the case negligently, and were accomplices in a systematic cover-up," the family said. "We strongly urge that all police accomplices who shielded Jang Yun-gi be held legally accountable and immediately detained."