Opposition leader visits Gwangju amid controversy over murder case probe

SEOUL, July 9 (Yonhap) -- Opposition leader Jang Dong-hyeok visited the southwestern city of Gwangju on Thursday amid growing controversy over police handling of a murder case involving a female high school student, but failed to meet the local police chief despite having canceled a scheduled meeting with the new prime minister for the trip.

Rep. Jang of the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) was earlier scheduled to meet Prime Minister Han Seong-sook but called it off, citing a need to travel to Gwangju and meet the commissioner of the Gwangju Metropolitan Police Agency.

The meeting, however, did not take place as the police chief was reportedly out of office. Jang and other PPP officials were also denied access to the commissioner's office.

Rep. Jang had planned to discuss allegations that police officers leaked investigative information and destroyed evidence during the probe into the murder of a 17-year-old female student.

He was also expected to stress the need to preserve the prosecution's right to conduct supplementary investigations, one day after the ruling Democratic Party unilaterally introduced a bill aimed at completely scrapping the prosecution's supplementary investigative rights.

The PPP has cited the murder case as an example highlighting the importance of the prosecution's supplementary investigation authority.

"It was only through the prosecution's supplementary investigation that the truth behind this grave crime was uncovered and the violent offender was properly indicted," PPP senior spokesperson Choi Bo-yoon said in a statement.

In May, police arrested 23-year-old Jang Yoon-gi on charges of murdering the female student and attempting to murder a 17-year-old male student in Gwangju.

The case has since sparked allegations that local investigators had improper ties to Jang's father, a serving police officer in the city.