Former Yongsan Police Station 112 Chief Applies for Bail in 'Itaewon Disaster' Case

All 6 Detained Defendants Charged

Song Byeong-ju, former head of the Yongsan Police Station 112 Comprehensive Security Situation Room, who directed police response at the scene during the Itaewon disaster, has filed a bail application with the court.

According to the legal community on the 24th, Song submitted the bail application the day before to the Criminal Division 11 of the Seoul Western District Court (Chief Judge Bae Seong-jung), which is handling the Itaewon disaster case.

Song was arrested and indicted on January 18 on charges of professional negligence resulting in death and injury for failing to take appropriate safety measures, such as pushing the crowd onto the sidewalk, despite being aware of the possibility of a crush accident through 112 emergency calls on the day of the Itaewon disaster.

All six defendants held in custody related to the Itaewon disaster, including Song, have applied for bail, and so far four have been released. Park Hee-young, mayor of Yongsan District, and Choi Won-jun, former head of Yongsan District Safety and Disaster Division, were released on the 7th, while Park Seong-min, former head of the Public Safety Information and Foreign Affairs Department at Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, and Kim Jin-ho, former head of the Intelligence Division at Yongsan Police Station, were released on the 21st. Former Yongsan Police Station Chief Lee Im-jae is scheduled for a bail hearing on the 30th.

[Image source=Yonhap News]