Former Yongsan Police Chief Reported First at 11 PM... First Directive Issued About 20 Minutes Earlier

Former Yongsan Police Station Chief Lee Im-jae is being summoned to the Itaewon Accident Special Investigation Headquarters in Mapo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] It has been revealed that the time when former Yongsan Police Station Chief Im-jae Lee gave his first order regarding the Itaewon disaster site was about 20 minutes earlier than the 11 p.m. time he claimed to have recognized the situation at the National Assembly.

According to the police on the 29th, the Police Agency Special Investigation Headquarters (Special Investigation Headquarters) is investigating when former Chief Lee first became aware of the accident based on the 112 radio communication records from Yongsan Station on the day of the disaster, which contain such details. Earlier, former Chief Lee appeared at the National Assembly on the 16th and stated, "I did not receive proper reports, so my judgment was delayed," and "I only grasped the emergency situation at 11 p.m." However, according to the radio communication records, former Chief Lee is shown to have ordered around 10:36 p.m. on the day to send all available personnel who could be mobilized via radio.

The Special Investigation Headquarters investigating the Itaewon disaster reportedly summoned former Chief Lee twice on the 21st and 24th to question him about the timing of the first report. If the investigation proves that former Chief Lee’s testimony at the National Assembly was false, he could face perjury charges under the National Assembly Testimony Act. The Special Investigation Headquarters plans to complete summons investigations of key suspects, including former Chief Lee, who were booked early in the investigation, and decide on the direction of their custody, such as applying for arrest warrants within two weeks.