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Acting Police Chief to Return Early from U.S. Trip over Murder Case Probe
The acting national police chief will cut short a U.S. visit after public concern grew over the handling of a May murder case in Gwangju. The agency formed a special team and prosecutors searched a police station this week.
Jul 8, 5:17 AM·1m read1 source
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The acting national police chief will return home Friday from a United Nations police summit in the United States after public concern rose over the police response to a May murder case, the agency said Wednesday. Acting National Police Agency Commissioner Yoo Jae-seong had been scheduled to attend the summit through July 11.
The agency said the early return reflects "public concern and interest" in the case.
The case involves a 17-year-old female student killed and a 17-year-old male student wounded in Gwangju. The suspect's father is a serving police officer in the city. The agency formed a special investigation team after allegations surfaced that local officers may have ties to the suspect's father.
The team requested an arrest warrant for the officer who led the original investigation. Multiple officers at Gwangju's Gwangsan Police Station were removed from duty and are under investigation for suspected leaks of case information and destruction of evidence.
Prosecutors conducted a search and seizure at the station on Tuesday.
The controversy occurs as lawmakers debate whether to remove prosecutors' authority to request additional investigations, which could affect how police handle major criminal cases.
