Manipulation of '112 Call Response' Before the Disaster... Request for Investigation of Itaewon Police Station Team Leader

Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, Migeun-dong, National Police Agency lobby
[Photo by Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Jo] It has been confirmed that some of the 11 emergency 112 calls received before the Itaewon disaster had manipulated call and action records.

The Police Agency's Special Inspection Team announced on the 2nd that they have requested an investigation by the Police Agency's Special Investigation Headquarters (Special Investigation Unit) into two team leaders of the Itaewon Police Substation who were found to have entered false information into the 112 system. On the 1st of last month, the police disclosed the specific details of the 11 emergency 112 calls received from 6:34 PM, the day of the disaster, until the estimated time of the disaster at 10:15 PM.

According to the Special Inspection Team's findings, some of these calls were falsely manipulated to indicate that counseling was provided despite no actual communication with the caller, or that dispatch actions were taken despite no actual dispatch to the scene. The Special Inspection Team stated, "We plan to take measures considering the results of the ongoing investigation," and added, "We cannot disclose detailed information as it pertains to matters related to the investigation."