The father of the suspect in the murder of a female middle school student in Jeonnam and Gwangju has reportedly been involved in the destruction of key evidence, including real dolls and cable ties, after his son’s arrest. Investigations reveal that the father, who is a current police official, took extended leave and allegedly used his position to obstruct the investigation.
Suspect’s Father Allegedly Took Extended Leave to Conceal Evidence
According to documents submitted by the Gwangju Police Agency to National Power Party lawmaker Shin Dong-wook, the father, identified as Jang Mo (55), requested a six-hour emergency leave on May 5th, the same day his son, Jang Yun-gi (23), allegedly committed the crime and was apprehended. Jang Mo subsequently applied for this leave retroactively on the afternoon of May 6th.
Following this, Jang Mo took a leave of absence from May 8th to May 18th. During this period, crucial evidence, including real dolls believed to be key to confirming the charges of aggravated assault against his son, was reportedly disposed of or destroyed under his supervision.
Investigation Hindered by Suspect’s Father
The investigation team at the Gwangsan Police Station, which was handling the case, failed to seize the real dolls found in Jang Yun-gi’s vehicle on May 5th. Furthermore, on May 6th, Jang Mo was handed over Jang Yun-gi’s SUV, which contained a 50cm cable tie, by the police. This vehicle was later found to have the cable tie in the passenger seat.
On May 7th, the investigation team shared Jang Yun-gi’s room access password with Jang Mo. The following day, May 8th, Jang Mo took his leave and entered his son’s room. He then allegedly disposed of two real dolls, crucial evidence in the aggravated assault case, by scattering them in various locations around Gwangju and Jeonnam.
During a phone call with the investigation team leader, Park Mo (59), on the same day, Jang Mo reportedly asked if the phone Jang Yun-gi usually used was discarded near the Cheomdan Bridge. Upon confirmation, Jang Mo personally searched the area around the bridge. The phone has not been recovered to date. Jang Mo also reportedly gathered and burned several older mobile phones that Jang Yun-gi had used at home before his conscription.
Father Denies Intentional Destruction of Evidence
During a search of Jang Mo’s residence on July 7th, investigators discovered another piece of evidence related to the aggravated assault: a cable tie. This has led to suspicions that Jang Mo concealed evidence after receiving Jang Yun-gi’s vehicle from the police.
It was also revealed that Jang Mo deleted call recording files from his phone during the evidence tampering process, and even turned off the automatic recording function on his smartphone. However, Jang Mo has reportedly denied any intent to tamper with evidence, stating he was merely “organizing his belongings.” Regarding the disposal of the real dolls, he claimed, “At the time, I didn’t realize they were important evidence. The police told me the house address and password, so I thought it was okay to dispose of them.”
Legal Ramifications and Calls for Reform
Jang Mo is not facing criminal charges for aiding his family member’s crime due to the existing legal provision that exempts close relatives from punishment in such cases. However, the police stated that disciplinary action would be considered based on the investigation’s findings.
Following his leave, Jang Mo has continued to take extended periods of absence, including long-term leave, vacation, and public service leave, from May 18th to the present. Lawmaker Shin Dong-wook commented, “Jang Mo, a key figure in the incident, is not even being criminally charged due to the special treatment for relatives. The law needs to be amended to exclude police officers from this special provision.”
