[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] The court ruled that the police must disclose the closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage near the accident site to the family of the late university student Son Jeong-min, who went missing and was found dead at Seoul Hangang Park in April last year.
On the 11th, the Administrative Court of Seoul, Administrative Division 7 (Chief Judge Jeong Sang-gyu) partially ruled in favor of the plaintiff, Son Hyeon, Jeong-min’s father, in his lawsuit against the head of the Seocho Police Station in Seoul, who had refused to disclose the information.
The court ordered the police to disclose part of the footage recorded in the early hours of April 25 last year, captured by CCTV installed on Olympic-daero.
The footage is presumed to contain the circumstances when Jeong-min fell and the movements of Jeong-min’s friend’s parents who appeared at the scene after the accident.
The court stated, "Considering various aspects of the investigation into the death case, there is insufficient reason to believe that disclosing the CCTV footage would cause direct and specific obstacles to the police’s duties," and added, "It is necessary to disclose the footage to guarantee the plaintiff’s right to resolve doubts about the shocking fact of his son’s death."
The court also urged Son to "strictly adhere to the promise not to distribute or send the CCTV footage externally and to use it only for verification purposes."
Son also requested the disclosure of CCTV footage from the southern end of Banpo Bridge, but the court dismissed this request, stating that the footage is managed by the Hangang Project Headquarters of Seoul City, not the police.
Jeong-min went missing after drinking with a friend at Hangang Park in April last year and was found dead five days later. The family suspected the friend of a crime and filed a complaint for assault resulting in death and abandonment resulting in death, but the police investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing.
Subsequently, a Death Investigation Review Committee composed of internal and external experts concluded that Jeong-min’s death could not be considered a homicide, and the police closed the case as an internal investigation.
Son filed an information disclosure request with the Seocho Police Station for the CCTV footage showing the incident, but after it was rejected, he filed an administrative lawsuit in September last year.
He also submitted an objection to the prosecution, claiming that the police did not sufficiently investigate the raised suspicions before reaching a conclusion. The Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office summoned Son as a complainant in December last year and is currently reviewing whether to reopen the investigation.
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