[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] Kim Kwang-ho, Commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, returned home on the 2nd after completing his suspect status investigation, about 10 hours after appearing at the Police Agency's Special Investigation Headquarters (Special Investigation Unit).
Commissioner Kim finished the investigation around 8 p.m. at the Mapo Office of the Seoul Police Agency, where the Special Investigation Unit is located, and told reporters, "I sincerely cooperated with the investigation without hiding or adding anything." He appeared at the Special Investigation Unit as a suspect around 10 a.m. that day. At the time of his appearance, Commissioner Kim gave the same statement to the press as he did upon leaving.
Earlier, based on materials secured through previous searches and testimonies from related parties, the Special Investigation Unit changed Commissioner Kim's status from a witness to a suspect the day before. It is also reported that the investigation materials on Commissioner Kim handed over by the Police Agency's Special Inspection Team on the 28th of last month served as grounds for changing his legal status to suspect.
As the person ultimately responsible for security in Seoul, Commissioner Kim is accused of recognizing the situation on the day of the disaster late and responding slowly, which increased casualties. The Special Investigation Unit is known to have questioned Commissioner Kim about all measures taken before and after the disaster as the person responsible for security and policing during the Halloween period. The unit also confirmed whether there was a request from Yongsan Police Station to deploy riot police before the Halloween festival and separately investigated the decision-making process within the Seoul Police Agency regarding the deployment of riot police.
The Special Investigation Unit plans to review whether legal responsibility can also be imposed on Commissioner Yoon Hee-geun, Kim's superior, once they have sufficiently proven Kim's criminal charges. A Special Investigation Unit official said regarding the possibility of Commissioner Yoon being booked, "We will keep all possibilities open and investigate."
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