A current police executive is under investigation on suspicion of destroying and discarding a cellphone, a key piece of evidence, after the officer's teenage son committed an illegal filming offense against his teacher.
According to the North Jeolla Provincial Police Agency on the 28th, police booked Inspector A of the Jeonju Deokjin Police Station and launched a formal investigation on suspicion of destroying or concealing evidence under the Criminal Act.
Inspector A's high school–age son was caught in May while attempting to illegally film his homeroom teacher. After hearing this from the school, the inspector is suspected of trying to eliminate clues to the crime by breaking the cellphone used in the offense and throwing it away while scolding his son.
In a police interview, Inspector A's son admitted the crime, saying he "pressed the record button for illegal filming," but said regarding the cellphone that it "does not exist." At the time, the investigative team did not take steps to secure the phone, such as a search and seizure, and sent the case to prosecutors last month because the suspect had confessed.
The alleged evidence destruction reportedly surfaced only later after the Korean National Police Agency headquarters ordered a full review of similar cases in the wake of misconduct allegations in the Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency's investigation into the Jang Yoon-gi case. The North Jeolla Provincial Police Agency searched Inspector A's home last week and began tracking the son's discarded cellphone.
Under current law, there is a "relative exception" that can allow family members or relatives to avoid punishment when they harbor an offender or destroy evidence. However, investigators are examining whether the couple may face separate charges not covered by the exception, such as going beyond simply removing evidence to directing others to do so.