Hong Seok-ki, head of the National Office of Investigation, said he was "at a loss for words" over allegations that the police-officer father of Jang Yoon-gi, the suspect in the murder of a Gwangju high school girl, destroyed key evidence, pledging a thorough investigation with the organization's fate on the line.
Hong made the remarks Tuesday morning at his first regular press briefing since taking office, held at the National Police Agency in Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. Asked about allegations that Jang's father destroyed evidence, Hong said, "I am at a loss for words," adding, "We immediately conducted an investigative review, and during that process we found matters requiring a shift to a criminal investigation, so I ordered a rigorous probe."
"We will uncover everything so that not a single doubt remains, including not only what has emerged in the media but also what was found during the investigative review process," he stressed.
"Since it has shifted from an internal review to an investigation, please trust and wait for the results," Hong said, reiterating, "I will stake the organization's fate on it."
The Gwangju Police Agency earlier that morning said it had formed a 22-member dedicated investigation task force, led by the head of its investigation division, to examine various allegations surrounding Jang's father. It also said that, in the process of verifying the facts, it had confirmed some circumstances of evidence tampering and made an emergency arrest of the investigation team leader at Gwangsan Police Station, who had handled the case at the time, at around 7:11 a.m. that morning.
On the background of the Gwangju Police Agency's formation of the dedicated investigation team, Hong said, "The matter was reported and (the headquarters) ordered an investigation," adding, "We excluded the entire criminal division of the Gwangju Police Agency (from the investigation team) and had the probe conducted rigorously by an organization that can ensure objectivity, centered on the anti-corruption investigation unit."
Asked about the possibility of transferring the investigation into the allegations to another metropolitan or provincial police agency, he said, "If necessary, we will review that as well."
Hong reiterated, "We will investigate fairly so as not to draw even the slightest suspicion from the public."
Regarding the evidence-tampering charge and the special provision under the Criminal Act on relatives applied to Jang's father, he said, "There is a part where a clause created out of necessity becomes exceptionally problematic," adding, "The National Assembly will sort this out well through legislation."
