Ahead of the Enforcement of the 'Serious Accident Punishment Act'... Gwangju Police Also Establish Specialized Investigation Team

The "No. 1 Case" Involves New Apartment Collapse... "Not Subject to Legal Application" Judgment

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] The Gwangju Police Agency is also forming a specialized investigation team in line with the enforcement of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.

This law, which will take effect on the 27th, primarily aims to punish business owners and management officials who fail to fulfill their obligations to ensure safety and health when serious industrial accidents such as worker deaths occur.

On the 26th, the Gwangju Police Agency announced that, following the police personnel appointments in early February, it plans to establish a safety-specialized investigation team under the city's violent crime investigation unit.

The team will consist of a total of five members, including a team leader (Inspector), and will handle cases related to the Serious Accidents Punishment Act going forward.

The team is also expected to play a leading role in investigating the Hwajeong I-Park collapse accident that occurred on the 11th. In other words, the newly established investigation team's "first case" will be this collapse accident.

The police conducted a legal review on whether the law could be applied if missing persons were rescued after the enforcement of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act but concluded that it "cannot be applied." They determined that the date of the accident, the 11th, must be the reference point.

Therefore, Hyundai Development Company, the construction firm, is currently facing other charges such as violations of the Framework Act on the Construction Industry. To clarify the responsibility of Hyundai Development's headquarters, it is necessary to identify the negligence or responsibility of Hyundai's on-site personnel as well as the involvement of the primary contractor during this process.

Currently, a total of 89 personnel, including the violent crime investigation team and the anti-corruption economic crime investigation team, are focusing on determining the cause of the accident and proving negligence. Among them are investigators who possess specialized knowledge, such as holding architectural engineer certifications.

The police have begun summoning Hyundai Development-related personnel for questioning starting today among the 11 individuals criminally booked in connection with this case, marking the start of a full-scale investigation.

A police official stated, "Although the Serious Accidents Punishment Act cannot be applied, we plan to concentrate investigative efforts to uncover any illegal acts so that if discovered, strict punishment can be imposed."

Meanwhile, the accident occurred around 3:46 p.m. on the 11th at an apartment construction site when the exterior walls of the 201 building from the 23rd to the 38th floors collapsed.

As a result, one worker died and five went missing. It is estimated that they were responsible for window installation and fire-fighting equipment work on the 28th to 34th floors of the collapsed building.