Director of Dongmyo Business Office, Director of Yongsan Health Center, and Yongsan West Situation Team Leader
Charged with professional negligence causing death or injury, falsification of official documents, etc.
Decision on the disposition of Park Hee-young, Yongsan District Mayor, and others to be made this week
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 Reporters Seongpil Cho and Byungseon Gong] The Police Agency's Special Investigation Headquarters (Special Investigation HQ), investigating the Itaewon disaster, has additionally booked three suspects: the head of Dongmyo Operations Office of Seoul Metro, the head of Yongsan Health Center, and the 112 Situation Team Leader of Yongsan Police Station. The total number of suspects has increased to 21. The Special Investigation HQ plans to apply for arrest warrants for suspects from other institutions besides the police involved in the incident.
Kim Dongwook, spokesperson for the Special Investigation HQ, held a briefing at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Mapo Office on the 5th and announced that Mr. A, the head of Dongmyo Operations Office, was booked on charges of professional negligence resulting in death and injury for ignoring the instruction to request non-stop passage at Itaewon Station on the day of the disaster. Additionally, Mr. B, the head of Yongsan Health Center, suspected of arriving late at the scene and neglecting rescue command on the day of the disaster, was booked on charges including falsification of official documents, and Mr. C, the 112 Situation Team Leader of Yongsan Police Station on the day, was booked on charges of professional negligence resulting in death and injury.
Mr. A is suspected of failing to comply with Seoul Metro's instruction to consider non-stop passage through Itaewon Station on the day of the disaster. The Special Investigation HQ views the crowd congestion at the accident site caused by approximately 10,000 people per hour disembarking at Itaewon Station and exiting through exits 1 and 2 from 6 PM to 10 PM that day as a major cause of the accident. Previously, the Special Investigation HQ had booked Song Eunyoung, the station master of Itaewon Station, on charges of professional negligence resulting in death and injury for not implementing the non-stop passage measure and had been conducting investigations.
Mr. B is suspected of arriving at the scene after midnight following the accident but falsely reporting in a document that he arrived at 11:30 PM on the day of the disaster. The health center head has the duty to provide emergency measures at the scene when accidents or disasters occur in the area. However, the Special Investigation HQ believes Mr. B neglected this duty. Mr. C is suspected of neglecting 112 call handling and rescue measures while working at the Yongsan Police Station situation room on the day of the disaster. Despite receiving 11 reports to the police complaining of 'crushing' and similar issues starting four hours before the disaster, inadequate response to these reports is said to have contributed to the large-scale casualties.
Park Hee-young, Mayor of Yongsan District, is appearing for investigation as a suspect at the Special Investigation Headquarters (Special Investigation Unit) for the Itaewon incident in Mapo District, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]
The Special Investigation HQ plans to decide on the disposition of Park Heeyoung, Mayor of Yongsan District, and Choi Seongbeom, Chief of Yongsan Fire Station. Spokesperson Kim said, "The investigation is largely complete," and added, "We are reviewing whether to apply for arrest warrants." The Special Investigation HQ judges that local governments and fire authorities, who bear primary responsibility for disaster preparedness and relief under the Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety, have responsibilities as heavy as those of the police.
Regarding the arrest warrants applied for on the 2nd for four police executives, including former Yongsan Police Station Chief Lee Imjae, the hearing will be held at the Seoul Western District Court on the same day. Judge Kim Yumi, in charge of warrants at this court, will conduct a pre-arrest detention hearing (warrant substantive examination) from 2 PM to assess the necessity of detention. The Special Investigation HQ believes that since a significant part of the criminal charges has been substantiated and all suspects deny the charges, detention is necessary for investigation.
The Special Investigation HQ is also analyzing disciplinary materials regarding two team leaders of the Itaewon Police Substation at Yongsan Police Station, referred by the Police Agency's Special Inspection Team. The Special Inspection Team confirmed that these team leaders falsely recorded counseling and guidance despite not having communicated with the reporters on the day of the disaster, or falsely documented dispatching to the scene without actually going. The Special Investigation HQ plans to decide on booking these team leaders once the review of the disciplinary materials is complete.
The Special Investigation HQ is also considering an additional summons for Kim Kwangho, Chief of Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, who was previously investigated. Chief Kim, who oversees Seoul's public security, was booked on charges of professional negligence resulting in death and injury on the 1st and appeared before the Special Investigation HQ the following day for about 10 hours of questioning. With the booking and investigation of Chief Kim underway, only Police Commissioner Yoon Heegeun remains among the police leadership. The Special Investigation HQ has stated that it is conducting the investigation keeping all possibilities open.
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