South Korean Police to Form Reform Task Force After Alleged Leak to Murder Suspect's Father

Yoo Jae-seong, acting commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency, told reporters Monday that the force will overhaul its entire investigation system after allegations that officers in Gwangju leaked investigative material to a murder suspect's father, who is also a police officer in the city.

The announcement came as the agency seeks to restore public trust following the case. The suspect, 23-year-old Jang Yoon-gi, is accused of killing a 16-year-old female high school student and attempting to kill a 17-year-old male student on May 5 in Gwangju, 270 kilometers south of Seoul.

Yoo said the police will treat the incident as an opportunity to prevent recurrence of such controversies. The agency will form an investigation reform task force this month with seven to 10 members, the majority of them external. The group will examine personnel systems aimed at eradicating collusion, Yoo stated.

An internal corruption investigation unit will also be established under the National Office of Investigation to examine serious job-related crimes by agency officials of any rank. Senior superintendents and some superintendents are already undergoing a nationwide rotation, though Yoo noted that expanding rotations to all ranks could require additional support measures.