Suspicions of Inadequate Investigation in Go Yoo-jeong Case, Will Police 'Tie Up Loose Ends'?

Stepson's Biological Father Submits Petition to National Police Agency
Raises Issues on Crime Scene Preservation
Reform Timing Faces Test of Self-Cleansing Ability

Attorney Bu Ji-seok, the legal representative of Mr. A, the biological father of Ko Yu-jeong's stepson, is submitting a petition on the morning of the 9th at the Seoul Seodaemun-gu Police Agency, requesting an inspection and disciplinary action against the Cheongju Sangdang Police Station, which was in charge of the case.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] Although the Supreme Court ruling has been finalized, the police's time is not over yet. There remains the task of correcting the errors in the police investigation related to the Ko Yu-jeong (37) case, which raised numerous suspicions of inadequate investigation. Attention is focused on how much truth the police can uncover through internal inspection at a time when investigative authority adjustment and police reform are becoming visible.

A, the biological father of Ko's stepson and her remarried husband, submitted a petition to the National Police Agency on the 9th requesting an internal inspection of the Cheongju Sangdang Police Station in Chungbuk, which investigated the 'stepson's death case.' Ko was ultimately acquitted in this case. The conclusion was that although the child died 'due to external force,' there was no one who killed him.

Submitting a petition does not guarantee an internal inspection, but given the strong public criticism, it seems inevitable that the police will seek to ascertain the truth. There are three major suspicions that need to be clarified. The failure to preserve the scene when the child died in March last year and the suspicion that the police relied on Ko's statements to initially investigate A as a negligent homicide suspect have been controversial issues. Additionally, A raised suspicions that the police tried to cover up the allegations of inadequate investigation. Bu Ji-seok, A's legal representative, stated, "We submitted the petition believing that revealing the police's intimidation of (Ko's acquaintances) to cover up the inadequate investigation will prevent such incidents from happening again."

The police investigation related to Ko was marked by inadequate investigation from beginning to end. Regarding the ex-husband murder case that occurred in Jeju Island, the National Police Agency formed a joint inspection team last year and identified shortcomings in the initial investigation and case handling by the Jeju police. Although the body was not even found, three members of the investigation team received only minor disciplinary actions such as warnings and reprimands in January this year. At that time, the stepson's death case was excluded from the investigation due to it being under investigation.

The police's internal fact-finding regarding the Ko case is expected to become a proving ground for demonstrating 'self-purification ability' in conjunction with the timing of investigative authority adjustment and police reform. It could serve as an opportunity to re-examine the investigation process and prepare improvement measures. Attorney Bu said, "I trust the police's internal investigation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.