Opposition demands resignations over Gwangju murder probe, calls for police reform

South Korea's main opposition People Power Party has called for the immediate resignation of the Interior and Safety Minister and the acting Commissioner of the National Police Agency. The demand stems from allegations of mishandling and potential collusion in the investigation of a murder case involving a high school student in Gwangju.

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This is a shocking case where the police destroyed evidence for a murderer.

Rep. Jeong Jin-suk, the party's floor leader, described the case as "shocking" and accused the police of "destroying evidence for a murderer." He questioned the integrity of a system where a perpetrator, allegedly a child of a police officer, could have evidence suppressed and the crime minimized. Jeong stated that if such actions are possible, the country cannot be considered "normal."

Jeong also expressed disappointment with the Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency for refusing a visit from the party's representative the previous day. He attributed the alleged decline in police discipline to the current administration, placing primary responsibility on the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. Furthermore, he criticized President Yoon Suk-yeol for the "unstable" leadership of the police force under an acting commissioner, urging the swift appointment of a permanent chief.

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If a serious offender can minimize their crime and destroy evidence with the background of a police officer father, it cannot be called a normal country.

In addition to the calls for resignations and a permanent police chief, the People Power Party proposed a multi-party discussion table on reforming investigative agencies. This proposal comes in response to the Democratic Party's recent introduction of a bill to abolish the prosecution's supplementary investigation rights, which would grant the police full investigative authority. The opposition party seeks to include measures to check the police's complete investigative power in these reform talks.

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The police's organizational discipline has become lax since the start of the Lee Jae-myung administration.