Police form investigation reform committee to review Jang Yun-gi cover-up allegations

The Police Investigation Reform Committee, established in response to allegations that police systematically covered up the case of killer Jang Yun-gi, held its first closed-door meeting Monday.

At the meeting, the committee formally renamed itself from its original designation — the "TF for Enhancing Trust in Police Investigations" — to the Police Investigation Reform Committee, and held a ceremony to commission its external members, marking the start of its full operations.

The committee plans to take up as its first order of business the misconduct allegations against police identified during the Jang Yun-gi investigation. It will receive a formal briefing on the case at its next scheduled meeting on Aug. 3.

On Aug. 6, the committee plans to hold a forum with the National Council of Sexual Violence Counseling Centers to gather opinions on protecting victims of relationship-based crimes.

The committee is composed of six external members: chair Kim Nam-jun, an attorney; Yoon Dong-ho, a law professor at Kookmin University; Cho Sun-yeol, chair of the Seoul Bar Association; Jung Young-hun, an attorney at law firm Jeongse; Park Mi-rang, a police science professor at Hannam University; and Park Yong-dae, an attorney. Internal members include Yoo Seung-ryeol, the Korean National Police Agency's investigation planning and coordination officer; Lee Mi-kyung, a forensic science review official; and Cho Ju-eun, an official overseeing women's safety and school violence countermeasures.

The committee plans to hold weekly meetings until October, when the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency is set to launch.

Chair Kim said it was "timely" to operate such a body "to dispel public concerns amid the restructuring of the criminal justice system," adding that he would "work with fellow members to do our utmost to faithfully convey diverse perspectives on the development of police investigations — from the public's point of view — to the Korean National Police Agency, and to ensure those views are sufficiently reflected on the ground."

Acting Korean National Police Agency Commissioner Yoo Jae-seong said the agency would "humbly accept the committee's various suggestions and recommendations aimed at improving the fundamentals of police investigations and enhancing public trust," pledging to provide "full administrative and institutional support to ensure they take stable root at investigation sites."