Yoon Ji-oh, a former colleague of a late actress Jang Ja-yeon, on Saturday urged police to strengthen the protection for her, as police did not respond to her emergency signals for more than ten hours.

Yoon wrote in an Instagram post that the smartwatch device police gave her for safety was not working, and police had not been responding to her emergency signals that she sent three times from 5:55 a.m. on Saturday. 

Yoon demanded police give an explanation and apologize. She also urged police to beef up protection for other victims and witnesses.

Yoon on Saturday filed a petition with Cheong Wa Dae on the same claim. As of Sunday afternoon, the petition had gained more than 225,000 signatures.

Some 11 hours after Yoon’s first signal for help, police called Yoon and said they had not receive the emergency signals. Police said they have been examining the reason why they had failed to receive them.

Yoon, who claims to have seen a document form Jang before her death, has been giving testimony over the last 10 years. Jang took her own life in 2009, leaving a letter that accused her agency of forcing her to be involved in drinking parties and to provide sexual favors to high-profile figures.

As the Justice Ministry’s special commission reopened an investigation into the actress’s death in March, Yoon has testified as a witness.

Since revealing her face and name on March 5, however, Yoon says she has been fearing for her life and has received many threats.

Besides the shelter and protection service the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and police have provided her, Yoon said she has hired private bodyguards at her own expense.

By Park Ju-young (jupark@heraldcorp.com)