Special Investigation Unit to Summon Yongsan Police Chief and Yongsan Fire Chief Next Week... Suspect Investigation Intensifies

The signboard of the Itaewon Accident Special Investigation Headquarters (Special Investigation Unit), which is investigating the inadequate response to the 'Itaewon tragedy,' is hung at the entrance of the Mapo Police Station in Mapo-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] The National Police Agency’s Special Investigation Headquarters (Special Investigation HQ), which is investigating the Itaewon disaster, plans to summon former Seoul Yongsan Police Station Chief Lee Im-jae and Yongsan Fire Station Chief Choi Seong-beom next week. As the summoning of suspects intensifies, it is expected that the Special Investigation HQ’s investigation will also accelerate.

According to a compilation of reports on the 17th, the Special Investigation HQ has decided to investigate Chief Choi as a suspect for professional negligence resulting in death or injury and has notified him to appear on the 21st. Chief Choi was booked on the 7th on charges including failing to take additional measures after judging that dispatch was unnecessary despite receiving a joint response request from the police who received the 112 emergency call before the disaster occurred.

The Special Investigation HQ is also reportedly planning to verify suspicions that Chief Choi delayed issuing a Level 2 response, which increased casualties, and neglected to inspect and manage safety risk factors such as illegal buildings in the Itaewon area. To specifically confirm Chief Choi’s criminal charges, the Special Investigation HQ plans to summon the Yongsan Fire Station on-site command team leader, who directed rescue operations at the scene on the day of the disaster, as a witness for investigation.

The Special Investigation HQ is investigating based on the crisis response system stipulated in the Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety, viewing the fire department as the primary agency responsible for on-site rescue command. Former Chief Lee Im-jae, who was also booked on charges of professional negligence resulting in death or injury and dereliction of duty along with Chief Choi, is scheduled to appear as a suspect and be investigated on the same day. Former Chief Lee is accused of failing to take prior measures despite reports recommending increased police personnel during the Halloween period and responding belatedly by arriving at the scene 50 minutes after the disaster occurred.

Separately, the Special Investigation HQ continues to conduct witness investigations targeting Yongsan District Office and others. It was reported that employees of Yongsan District Office were summoned the previous day to investigate whether disaster safety education and work instructions were given. The Special Investigation HQ views the failure of Yongsan District Office to inspect and manage crowd accident risk factors in the Itaewon area in advance under the Disaster and Safety Act as a cause of this disaster. In connection with this, Yongsan District Mayor Park Hee-young has been booked and is under investigation for professional negligence resulting in death or injury.

Additionally, the Special Investigation HQ is continuing investigations of Seoul Metro employees who are engaged in a dispute with the police regarding the request for non-stop passage of Itaewon Station subway trains on the day of the disaster. They are focusing on the circumstances under which Seoul Metro and Itaewon Station did not allow non-stop passage despite the crowding at the subway exit becoming so severe from the afternoon of the 29th of last month, the day of the disaster, that passengers could not exit. The Itaewon Station chief will also be summoned as a witness for investigation soon.

The Special Investigation HQ is also known to have booked Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, the overall person responsible for disaster and safety management related to the Itaewon disaster, as a suspect for professional negligence resulting in death or injury and dereliction of duty. This is a formal measure following a complaint filed on the 14th by the Korea Public Officials Labor Union Federation (Gongnochoeng) National Public Officials Labor Union Fire Department Branch requesting an investigation into the minister on these charges. However, since the minister’s dereliction of duty charge falls under the jurisdiction of the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO), it remains uncertain whether the Special Investigation HQ will proceed with a full investigation.