As suspicions emerge that police failed to properly secure key evidence and were involved in its destruction during the investigation into the case of Gwangju high school girl killer Jang Yun-gi, 23, the family of the late Lee Chae-won demanded a thorough fact-finding probe and harsh punishment for those involved.
Lee's mother held a press conference at Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency on the morning of the 8th and said, "Our Chaewon, who cherished a dream of becoming an emergency rescuer who saves lives and lived an ordinary daily life, one day lost her life in an unimaginably horrific way," adding, "Since Chaewon left, each day for us has made even breathing feel painful and we feel sorry to Chaewon."
She said, "I shed tears of blood and even revealed my daughter's name and face to the world, earnestly hoping the law would be changed so the perpetrator would surely be sentenced to death," adding, "All I wanted was to prevent any more victims like our Chaewon."
The family argued that during the investigation into the Jang Yun-gi case, police tried to downplay and cover it up because the suspect's father is a police officer. Lee's mother said, "What were the police, who are supposed to protect the people, doing behind the scenes? Because the perpetrator is from a police family, they minimized the case and covered it up in an organized manner," adding, "We believed more than anyone that the police would investigate strictly and clear our Chaewon's injustice, but they were not on our side — they were on the murderer's side," she said in a raised voice.
The family also strongly took issue with the police's initial response and evidence collection. Lee's mother criticized, "How dare those who do not observe even the basic requirements of securing evidence impersonate the police," adding, "I want to ask whether they are qualified to perform the duties of being police. It is dereliction of duty and deception that entirely forgot the police's responsibilities."
She continued, "Even the truth of why my daughter had to die was destroyed and distorted because the perpetrator's father is a police officer, while my heart is torn apart with the sorrow of losing a child," adding, "If Chaewon had been their own daughter, would they have investigated like this? Our Chaewon was also someone's precious daughter," she appealed.
The family also criticized the credibility of the police organization. Lee's mother said, "If the police — the so-called people's cane — so shamelessly covered for their own and concealed the truth, then how can any citizen in Korea trust the police anymore," adding, "Even now my whole body trembles when I think of how the public authority colluded to hack the truth to pieces."
She added, "I hope that through the investigation and trial, all the facts will be made crystal clear and that all involved will face stern responsibility," and "Our family will fight to the end until the day when everyone who tried to hide the perpetrator and the truth of the case faces the severe judgment of the law."
The family also called for institutional reforms to the kinship exception under the Criminal Act. Lee's mother said, "The perpetrator's father was not merely a family member but an incumbent police official who must protect the people's lives and legal order," adding, "If, in the capacity of a police official, he damaged the truth of the case and was involved in destroying evidence, that responsibility must be held more strictly than anyone's."
She urged, "If the kinship exception is applied even to police who betrayed the public's trust so they can evade responsibility, how can the people believe in justice before the law," and "Using Chaewon's case as a turning point, the kinship exception system must be thoroughly reexamined, and if anyone used their position to obscure the truth of a case, please reform the system so they will surely face judgment by the law."
Meanwhile, on Children's Day, Jang Yun-gi was indicted on charges including attempting to abduct Lee, who was on her way home, in front of a high school in Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju, killing her with a weapon, and injuring a male student who tried to stop him. At the first trial, Jang largely admitted the charges but did not make a clear statement on whether there was a sexual crime motive.
During the subsequent investigation, suspicions of evidence destruction grew after it emerged that police, after arresting Jang Yun-gi, returned the vehicle to Jang's father without seizing the actual bundle of suspected restraint zip ties found during the vehicle search.
The Gwangju District Prosecutors' Office the previous day searched and seized Jang Yun-gi's father's residence and secured zip ties with the packaging unopened. Prosecutors view these zip ties as important circumstantial evidence indicating they may have been tools to restrain the victim and are looking into how they were secured and possible collusion with police.
In addition, the Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency urgently arrested Park, a senior inspector who led the Gwangsan Police Station investigation team, on suspicion of belatedly destroying a documented evidence video containing scenes from the vehicle search. Park denies the allegation and underwent a pretrial detention hearing at the Gwangju District Court on the day.