Minister Jung Sung-ho of the Ministry of Justice credited the arrests on the 4th of the suspects accused of beating Director Kim Chang-min to death as the result of prosecutorial supplementary investigation.
That day, the Minister said on Facebook, "(Prosecutors) have devoted all-out efforts to supplementary investigation to respond to the appeals of the bereaved family, who pointed out shortcomings in the initial investigation, and to the public's demand for stern punishment."
The Minister went on to note that, through the first search and seizure conducted six months after the incident, authorities uncovered indications that a person surnamed Lee (31) and a person surnamed Lim (31) conspired to destroy evidence, and secured arrest warrants that had been rejected twice during the initial investigation.
"This was achieved through supplementary investigation, a second opportunity to reexamine the case and get closer to the substance," the statement said.
The Minister added, "We will build a precise and tight criminal justice system that protects the public so that the victim's injustice is resolved and offenders cannot sleep easy for even a single day."
Earlier, in Oct. last year, Director Kim died after being beaten by a group of men who were seated at another table at a restaurant in Guri, Gyeonggi Province, while there with his son with developmental disabilities.
At the outset, police identified Lee and Lim as the assailants and sought arrest warrants, but both were denied.
As controversy grew over the police's flawed initial investigation, the Criminal Division 2 of the Namyangju Branch of the Uijeongbu District Prosecutors' Office (led by Director General Park Shin-young), which received the case, formed a dedicated task force last month and launched a reinvestigation, and on this day, six months after Director Kim's death, arrested the two.