‘Itaewon Disaster’ Former Seoul Police Intelligence Chief and Others to Undergo Detention Hearing on the 5th

Charges of Evidence Tampering and Negligent Homicide/Injury in the Course of Duty

Park Seong-min, former Director of Public Safety Information and Foreign Affairs Division (Senior Superintendent) at Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, and Lee Im-jae, former Chief of Yongsan Police Station (Chief Superintendent), along with other police officers accused of deleting reports related to the Itaewon disaster and inadequate response, will undergo a detention hearing (pre-trial detention review) on the 5th.

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Gyumin] On the 5th, police officers including Park Seongmin, former Public Safety Information and Foreign Affairs Division Chief (Police Commissioner) of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, and Lee Imjae, former Yongsan Police Station Chief (Senior Superintendent), who are suspected of deleting reports and inadequate response related to the Itaewon disaster, will undergo pre-trial detention hearings (warrant hearings).

The Seoul Western District Court announced on the 1st that the warrant hearings for the four individuals?Commissioner Park, Senior Superintendent Lee, former Yongsan Police Station Intelligence Division Chief Superintendent Kim, and former Yongsan Police Station 112 Situation Room Chief Superintendent Song?will be held at 10:30 a.m. on the 5th.

The Special Investigation Headquarters stated that they applied for arrest warrants for these individuals on the same day. The Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office promptly filed the warrants with the court. The charges specified in the warrants are obstruction of evidence for Commissioner Park and Superintendent Kim, and professional negligence resulting in death or injury for former Chief Lee and Superintendent Song.

Commissioner Park is suspected of ordering the deletion of a risk analysis information report prepared during the Halloween period in a chatroom where intelligence division chiefs from frontline police stations in Seoul gathered after the disaster. The Special Investigation Headquarters believes that Superintendent Kim, following Commissioner Park’s instructions, persuaded staff to delete the report.

Senior Superintendent Lee is accused of failing to take prior measures despite the expected large crowds during the Halloween period, arriving late at the scene, and not responding properly. Superintendent Song is suspected of failing to properly command police response at the initial disaster site, which increased casualties.

The Special Investigation Headquarters is also reviewing whether to apply for arrest warrants for other key suspects from different agencies, including Park Heeyoung, Mayor of Yongsan District.