501-Person Scale... Independent Investigation
Police 'Their Own' Investigation Concerns Also Raised
On the 2nd, during the national mourning period following the large-scale crush disaster in Itaewon, police forces are controlling access around the Itaewon disaster site in Yongsan-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@
[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] On the afternoon of the 1st, the police converted the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Investigation Headquarters into a Special Investigation Headquarters (Special HQ) to investigate the Itaewon tragedy. The Special HQ will also be responsible for investigating police officers if any illegal activities are found during the Itaewon tragedy response process in the upcoming inspection. This is a departure in line with Police Commissioner Yoon Hee-geun's mention of 'eupchammasok' (making a painful but necessary decision for the greater good).
The National Investigation Headquarters of the Police Agency announced on the 2nd that, following Commissioner Yoon's intention to establish a special organization to uncover the truth of the Itaewon tragedy, the Special HQ has been launched as an independent body. The Special HQ, led by Senior Superintendent Son Je-han, consists of a total of 501 personnel. Director Son will conduct investigations independently without receiving orders or supervision from superiors and will report only the investigation results.
The Special HQ will conduct investigations not only on the existing Seoul Police Investigation Headquarters' work related to the Itaewon tragedy but also on internal inspection results. If any illegal activities such as dereliction of duty or falsification of official documents are found regarding the practitioners and commanders of the Yongsan Police Station in Seoul, currently under inspection by the Police Agency's Special Inspection Team, the Special HQ will take charge of the investigation.
Concerns about the Special HQ have already emerged. There are doubts about whether the police can properly investigate themselves. Regarding this, Commissioner Yoon emphasized in a public apology the day before, "We will thoroughly investigate the appropriateness of the overall on-site response and whether the actions of commanders and personnel at all levels were appropriate," adding, "We will carry out our duties entrusted to the police with the resolve of eupchammasok, willing to make painful sacrifices for the greater good to meet the public's expectations." The Special HQ plans to focus its investigative efforts on accurately determining the cause of the accident before the inspection results are released. They are already analyzing 52 CCTV cameras near the accident site and 60 videos taken by citizens. Investigations will also be conducted into the inadequate response by administrative authorities, including Yongsan District Office, and indiscriminate defamation and insults occurring online.
Originally, large-scale disasters like the Itaewon tragedy were within the scope of direct prosecution investigations before the full implementation of the "Complete Removal of Prosecutorial Investigation Rights" (Geomsu Wanbak) law this year. Furthermore, before last year's adjustment of investigative authority between the police and prosecution, the police either formed joint investigation headquarters with the prosecution or were under prosecution supervision for such large-scale disasters. However, after the implementation of the Geomsu Wanbak law, the police have taken full responsibility for all investigations. This marks the police's first major test in investigating large-scale disasters. Moreover, since this Special HQ includes investigations targeting 'their own members,' the burden on them is expected to be even heavier.
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