Korean police will undertake sweeping reforms to restore public trust in police investigations in the wake of the case of Jang Yun-gi, the man who murdered a high school girl in Gwangju. The police will form a "Police Investigation Reform Task Force" centered on outside experts to conduct a comprehensive review of similar cases, and will establish an internal corruption investigation unit reporting directly to the head of the National Office of Investigation to significantly strengthen oversight of investigative misconduct.
"In connection with the Jang Yun-gi case, we plan to form a 'Reform Task Force to Enhance Trust in Police Investigations,' chaired by a respected outside figure, to prevent the recurrence of similar cases and to establish stricter controls over police investigations," the Korean National Police Agency said on the 10th.
The task force plans to appoint an outside figure with high public standing as its chair and to fill more than half of its seats with external experts to ensure independence and objectivity.
It will conduct a comprehensive review of similar cases at police stations nationwide and examine the overall police investigation system to develop improvement measures.
Separately, the police decided to establish an "Internal Corruption Investigation Unit" as an organization reporting directly to the head of the National Office of Investigation. The unit will operate as a dedicated body investigating misconduct related to investigations, including wrongdoing during investigative processes, botched investigations, and leaks of investigative information.
The measures are a follow-up response to growing criticism of the fairness and credibility of police investigations, after allegations emerged that police officers destroyed evidence and leaked investigative information during the Jang Yun-gi investigation.
Yoo Jae-sung, acting commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency, who returned early from an official trip to the United States, convened a video conference of the police leadership immediately after his return the same day. At the meeting, the leadership plans to discuss follow-up measures in detail, including the formation of the reform task force and the establishment of the internal corruption investigation unit, express its commitment to reform, and call on frontline officers to actively participate.
