The conservative opposition cited the "Jang Yoon-gi case," in which police fabrication and cover-up were confirmed, to warn of the dangers of abolishing the authority to request supplementary investigations.

On the 7th, as a compulsory investigation begins into alleged evidence destruction by police in the Jang Yun-gi case, prosecution investigators enter the Criminal Affairs Division of Gwangju Gwangsan Police Station./Courtesy of News1

Independent lawmaker Han Dong-hoon wrote on Facebook on the 8th, saying, "The public is outraged that the father of high school girl murderer Jang Yoon-gi, who is an incumbent police officer, destroyed evidence," and "It is coming to light that even the police investigation team leader actively took part in destroying evidence for the 'son of a police executive who is a friend.'"

Han said, "If prosecutors had not conducted a supplementary investigation, the destruction of evidence committed by the perpetrator's father, an incumbent police officer, and his police executive friend would have been buried forever," criticizing, "The Jang Yoon-gi case starkly shows that if only the police are allowed to investigate, countless wrongful victims could result."

He went on, "The Democratic Party, which raged on about prosecutors' 'fabricated indictments' by seizing on Lee Hwa-young's 'salmon drinking party' lie, is silent about the police's 'real fabrication,'" adding, "At this rate, after Oct. 2, Jang Yoon-gi–type cases will break out one after another."

Park Sung-hoon, senior spokesperson for the People Power Party, also issued a commentary, saying, "Suspicions of an organizational cover-up by the police over the case of high school girl murderer Jang Yoon-gi in Gwangju are snowballing out of control," and, "The investigation team informed the suspect's father of investigation developments, including the plan to seek a detention warrant, and even gave him the door passcode to the house. They made dozens of phone calls without leaving records, and on the very day evidence was destroyed, circumstances also emerged that they connected a call between the detained suspect and his father."

Park said, "As a result, key evidence disappeared, the DNA analysis report was omitted from the case referral, and ultimately even the investigation team leader was urgently arrested on suspicion of destroying evidence," pointing out, "All of this truth could come to light because prosecutors conducted a supplementary investigation. This case painfully proved that the authority to request supplementary investigations was not a prosecutorial privilege but the public's last safety device to stop the runaway power of the police."

Park said, "Does the Lee Jae-myung administration and the Democratic Party truly want a country where criminals smile and victims cry twice?" and added, "Even now, immediately halt the headlong rush to abolish the authority to request supplementary investigations."

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