The Jang Yoon-gi case raises questions over separate investigations as police leadership comes under scrutiny

Investigators probing allegations of a botched investigation in the "Jang Yoon-gi case" are now turning their focus to the police leadership. Attention has centered on why the Violent Crime Investigation Division of the National Office of Investigation (NOI) decided to handle the murder case and the sex crime case separately.
Legal circles say the investigation is likely to concentrate on whether the separation blocked a combined probe and interfered with the actual investigation.
According to a Financial News review on the 27th, the Special Investigation Team for Fact-Finding on the Jang Yoon-gi case carried out searches of the National Police Agency's NOI and began examining the entire command chain to determine the circumstances behind allegations of a poor investigation and evidence destruction.
Observers say the key turning point in the case will be uncovering why and how the NOI ordered the investigations to be split. The Violent Crime Investigation Division instructed that the murder of the late Lee Chaewon and the stalking and sexual assault case involving a Vietnamese woman, which occurred two days earlier, be investigated separately because they could not be sent together within the transfer deadline. The murder case was assigned to the Criminal Division at Gwangsan Police Station, while the sex crime case was handled by the Department of Women and Youth. Investigators were also told to attach the sexual assault records to the murder case file.
Disagreement continues over that decision by the command staff. In general, sexual violence and stalking cases are handled by the Department of Women and Youth to protect victims' rights and prevent secondary harm. Critics argue, however, that if victim protection was the goal, authorities could have formed a joint investigation team with officers from both the violent crimes unit and the Department of Women and Youth. Calls are also growing to reform the rigid investigative practices of police leadership that can prevent frontline officers from responding flexibly.
The impact of the separate investigation on the initial response is also a major issue. Among rank-and-file officers, testimony is mounting that the failed proposal for a combined investigation disrupted the probe. Since the suspect's history of sex crimes was a crucial clue to establishing the sexual motive for the murder, critics say the two cases should have been investigated together from the start.
In fact, Jang Yoon-gi had denied any sexual motive from the beginning of the investigation and claimed the crime was spontaneous. But at his second trial on the 13th, he admitted to murder with the intent to rape after reviewing evidence, including CCTV footage, presented by prosecutors. Ordinary murder carries a minimum sentence of five years, but murder committed with the intent to rape is punishable only by death or life imprisonment. That has raised suspicions that he may have deliberately denied the charges until decisive evidence emerged in an effort to reduce his sentence.
Within and outside the police, many say the backlash over the Namyangju stalking murder case, which drew criticism for a poor response, may have influenced the handling of this case. As Jang Yoon-gi, who had a history of stalking and sex crimes, committed murder again, analysts believe police leadership may have felt intense pressure in the process of examining the connection between the two cases.
Whether the case was handled properly is expected to be determined through the investigation's findings. Still, some say it is too early to conclude that the order to separate the cases was illegal, and that a cautious approach is needed. An Yeongrim of Seonseung Law Firm said, "Hiding the substance of a case or handling it poorly without just cause ultimately delays the investigation, and the damage falls squarely on the victim." She added, "A thorough fact-finding process and strict accountability are necessary."
[email protected] Seo Ji-yoon Reporter