Interior minister apologizes over Jang Yun-gi case, vows to root out corrupt police

Minister of Interior and Safety Yun Ho-jung issued a public apology Thursday over allegations that police investigators destroyed evidence and downplayed charges in the case of Jang Yun-gi, who murdered a high school girl in Gwangju.

Speaking at Government Complex Seoul in Jongno-gu, Yun said, "As the minister of interior and safety responsible for the lives and safety of the people, I extend my deepest condolences and sympathy to the victim's bereaved family, and I am deeply sorry for causing concern to the public."

"Signs are emerging one by one that the investigation team at the time gave Jang Yun-gi preferential treatment," Yun said. "The government views this situation with the utmost gravity, and we will eradicate internal police corruption and thoroughly overhaul the investigative system to restore the public trust shattered by shoddy and concealed investigations."

As part of measures to reform the police investigative system, Yun said the government would strengthen the Police Investigation Review Committee — which examines complaints raised by parties to a case — by filling it with civilian experts.

He also said the government would establish a dedicated external oversight and investigation body to monitor police investigations for human rights violations, and expand the authority of the National Police Commission, which deliberates on overall police affairs.

Yun added that the government would introduce a full rotation personnel system to stamp out regional ties between officers and their communities, and implement a voluntary self-reporting system for cases involving officers' family members to prevent the practice of shielding colleagues.

"We will boldly cut out the rotten parts within the police so that no aggrieved victim ever has to shed tears again, fixing the problem from the root," Yun said. "We will ensure that not a single corrupt officer can find a foothold inside the police."

He went on to say the government would transform the police "from an institution swayed by personal ties to one that stakes everything on justice, rebuilding trust and fairness in police investigations from the ground up, to the standard the public expects."