Key facts
- Acting National Police Agency Commissioner Yoo Jae-seong is returning early from a U.S. trip.
- The early return is due to controversy surrounding the police response to a murder case.
- Allegations involve potential misconduct and ties between investigators and the suspect's father, a police officer.
- A special investigation team is probing the allegations.
- An arrest warrant has been requested for the lead investigator in the murder case.
Acting National Police Agency Commissioner Yoo Jae-seong will cut short his trip to the United States and return home early amid growing controversy over the police response to a high-profile murder case. Yoo is currently in the U.S. to attend the United Nations Chiefs of Police Summit (UNCOPS) from July 5-11, but his return is scheduled for Friday due to public concern regarding the recent murder of a 17-year-old female student in Gwangju. Allegations have intensified over possible ties between local investigators and the father of Jang Yoon-gi, the suspect accused of the murder and attempted murder of another 17-year-old student. Jang's father is a serving police officer in Gwangju. In response to the controversies, the agency has formed a special investigation team to examine allegations of misconduct. This team has requested an arrest warrant for the police officer who led the murder case investigation. Additionally, multiple police officers at Gwangju's Gwangsan Police Station have been removed from their duties and are under investigation for allegedly leaking investigative information and destroying evidence. Prosecutors also conducted a search and seizure operation at the police station on Tuesday. The controversy arises as lawmakers debate the abolition of prosecutors' authority to request supplementary investigations, questioning the police's capacity to independently handle major criminal cases.