Police team leader arrested for evidence tampering in Gwangju murder case

A police team leader in charge of investigating the murder of a teenage girl in Gwangju has been arrested on charges of destroying evidence. The Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency announced on Thursday that Park, the team leader at the Gwangsan Police Station who was in charge of the case, was apprehended at 7:11 a.m. on the same day.

Park is suspected of informing his fellow Gwangju police officer and the father of the suspect, identified only as Jang, about the planned progress of the investigation. During the fact-checking process, the investigation team reportedly confirmed some evidence of obstruction.

The police are investigating the exact circumstances with the apprehended team leader. They also plan to continue a strict investigation into all related personnel, including team members who participated in the investigation at the time. Meanwhile, the Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency has formed a 22-member special investigation team, led by the head of the Gwangju police investigation division, to clarify the various suspicions raised during the Jang Yoon-gi murder investigation.