It has emerged that police who investigated high school student killer Jang Yun-gi (23) provided ‘conveniences’ so that his father, a serving police executive, could meet his son held in the lockup. The investigative team, while taking Jang from the lockup for questioning, checked in advance with the father on matters such as the ‘availability of visits’.

According to Kyunghyang Shinmun reporting on the 9th, Jang, who killed high school student Lee Chae-won (17) on May 5 and was urgently arrested, was held in the Gwangju Seobu Police Station lockup until he was transferred to prosecutors under arrest on May 14. Gwangju Gwangsan Police Station, which investigated the case, has no separate lockup.

In the lockup, Jang had three meetings with his father, Inspector Jang. Inspector Jang first met his son for about 30 minutes on the morning of May 6, the day after the emergency arrest. On May 8, Inspector Jang also met Jang for around 20 minutes. On the evening of May 13, the day before he was sent to prosecutors, Inspector Jang visited the lockup and met his son for about 20 minutes.

It has been determined that before visiting the lockup, Inspector Jang checked in advance with the Gwangsan Police Station investigative team about whether a meeting was possible. When Inspector Jang asked the team “I plan to see (my son) today,” the team would say things like “He may be in the middle of questioning” or “A visit is difficult today.”

Police bring detained suspects out of the lockup for supplemental questioning or to conduct on-site verification. Such schedules are not notified in advance to family members of suspects. Not knowing this, family members often come to the police station lockup to meet the detainee only to be unable to have a meeting.

The Gwangsan Police Station investigative team brought Jang from the Seobu Police Station lockup twice for additional questioning. As the team confirmed the investigative schedule, Inspector Jang visited the lockup to see his son at times when a meeting was possible.

Although there were significant concerns that Inspector Jang, as a serving police officer, could impede the investigation, the team did not impose a ‘ban on visits’. Police may prohibit meetings with persons other than legal counsel for detainees in the lockup ‘if there is concern that criminal evidence may be destroyed’.

In fact, at the outset of the investigation, Inspector Jang destroyed numerous pieces of evidence related to the crime committed by his son. On May 6, the day after the crime, the investigative team hurriedly handed over to Inspector Jang the vehicle Jang had used in the offense. He removed the cable ties that were in the vehicle.

Police also gave Inspector Jang the passcode to the one-room apartment of his son; he brought out two damaged sex dolls, cut them into pieces, and discarded them all. He also burned the phone his son had previously used. All are cited as key pieces of evidence that could prove the ‘rape-murder’ by Jang.

A legal community source pointed out, “There was ample concern that the father, a serving police officer, could hinder the investigation through meetings with Jang,” adding, “Police provided Inspector Jang with visitation conveniences and, even now, have taken no personnel measures, such as requiring him to use leave for more than two months.”

It was only on the 7th, when the special investigation team of the National Police Agency began its probe, that police placed Inspector Jang on standby assignment.