Court Detains Seoul Police Intelligence Chief... Former Yongsan Police Chief Denied (Comprehensive)

Former Yongsan Police Chief (Senior Superintendent) Lee Im-jae, who was charged with a warrant over the inadequate response to the Itaewon disaster and allegations of deleting information reports, is leaving the court after completing the pre-arrest suspect interrogation (warrant review) at the Western District Court in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on the 5th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] Park Seong-min, former head of the Public Safety Information and Foreign Affairs Division at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, who has been under investigation for allegations of deleting information reports related to the Itaewon disaster, was detained on the 5th.

Kim Yumi, the judge in charge of warrants at the Seoul Western District Court, held a pre-arrest hearing (warrant substantive examination) for Park on the afternoon of the same day and issued an arrest warrant. The judge also issued an arrest warrant for Kim Jin-ho, head of the Intelligence Division at Yongsan Police Station. However, the warrants requested for Lee Im-jae, former chief of Yongsan Police Station, and Song Byung-joo, former head of the 112 Situation Room at Yongsan Police Station, were dismissed.

The judge stated regarding Lee and Song, "Based on the materials submitted at this stage, it is difficult to recognize the grounds and reasonableness for detention due to concerns of evidence destruction or flight risk, and sufficient protection of the suspects' defense rights is necessary." Regarding former heads Park and Kim, the judge noted "there is a concern of evidence destruction."

Earlier, the Special Investigation Headquarters (Special Investigation Unit) of the National Police Agency, investigating the Itaewon disaster, applied for arrest warrants on the 1st, charging former chief Lee and former head Song with professional negligence resulting in death and injury, and former heads Park and Kim with instructing evidence destruction.

According to the Special Investigation Unit, former chief Lee is suspected of failing to take prior measures despite fully anticipating crowds during the Halloween period and arriving late at the scene, resulting in a delayed response. Former head Song is suspected of failing to properly command police response at the scene during the early stages of the disaster, which increased casualties.

He is also suspected of fabricating a situation report stating that former chief Lee arrived at the scene around 10:20 PM immediately after the disaster. Former head Park is accused of ordering the deletion of a risk analysis information report created during the Halloween period in a chatroom where intelligence division heads from frontline police stations in Seoul gathered after the disaster. The Special Investigation Unit believes that former head Kim persuaded staff to delete the report under Park’s instructions.