[Exclusive] Yongsan Police Chief Who Delayed Reporting Watched Itaewon Disaster Site from Police Substation Rooftop

Only 95m Straight Distance from Disaster Site
Visible to Naked Eye but Delayed Report 'Mystery'
First Order "All Staff Full Response"

On the afternoon of the 2nd, a member of the police special investigation headquarters who completed a search and seizure at the Yongsan Police Station in Seoul is coming out of the building. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Former Yongsan Police Chief Lee Im-jae, who was placed on standby due to delayed reporting and negligence of duty, was reportedly observing the entire situation from the rooftop of the Seoul Itaewon Police Substation, located 95 meters from the disaster site at the time of the tragedy. The disaster site and the substation are less than a two-minute walk apart, making immediate situation assessment possible, so it remains a mystery why he did not report to his superiors for over an hour.

According to a compilation of Asia Economy's coverage on the 4th, on the day of the Itaewon disaster, the 29th of last month, former Chief Lee received a report related to the crush around 9:30 p.m. At that time, he was reportedly having a meal after managing a rally near the Yongsan Presidential Office. After receiving the report, he came out to the Itaewon Police Substation around 10:20 p.m. The Itaewon disaster occurred at approximately 10:15 p.m., five minutes before he arrived at the substation.

Upon arriving at the substation, former Chief Lee reportedly instructed the police officers, "All personnel, deploy to the scene and make every effort in manpower rescue and response." Subsequently, police officers from Yongsan Station and the substation controlled the five-lane Itaewon-ro road and began rescue operations such as cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on the victims on the road.

After issuing his initial orders, former Chief Lee is said to have gone up to the rooftop of the Itaewon Police Substation and continued to monitor the situation. The Itaewon Police Substation is a three-story building that offers a clear view of the area near the Hamilton Hotel located across the street. Furthermore, the straight-line distance between the substation and the disaster site is only about 95 meters. The site is close enough to reach on foot within two minutes, and it is presumed that former Chief Lee was visually confirming all the events occurring in the alley to the left of the Hamilton Hotel.

On the 29th of last month, the direct distance between Itaewon Police Substation, commanded by former Yongsan Police Chief Lee Im-jae, and the Itaewon disaster site was only about 95 meters. It is known that on the day of the accident, former Chief Lee was observing the disaster site from the rooftop of the police substation.

The reason for the delayed reporting to superiors despite assessing the situation remains unknown. However, frontline police officers have speculated that "they tried to take action first and report later, but the situation escalated." On the day of the disaster, Yongsan Police Station was criticized for being negligent in preparing for the crush accident, as they were focused on managing rallies in front of the Yongsan Presidential Office and conducting special drug crackdowns in Itaewon.

Meanwhile, according to the police, former Chief Lee reported the situation to Seoul Metropolitan Police Chief Kim Kwang-ho at 11:36 p.m., 1 hour and 21 minutes after the disaster occurred. National Police Agency Commissioner Yoon Hee-geun received the report through a police agency official at 12:14 a.m. on the 30th of last month. Former Chief Lee is currently on standby status.