Lee Im-jae (53), former chief of the Yongsan Police Station in Seoul, claimed that he could not properly listen to the radio communication during the Itaewon disaster, but the prosecution argued that this does not affect the charge of professional negligence resulting in death or injury.
On the 21st, at a trial held before the 11th Criminal Division of the Seoul Western District Court (Presiding Judge Bae Seong-jung), the prosecution announced that it had submitted an opinion letter with this content to the court on the 7th.
A prosecution official stated, "Since negligence is established under Article 14 of the Criminal Act when the person is unaware, whether former Chief Lee actually listened to the radio communication is irrelevant to the establishment of the crime," adding, "If he listened to all the radio communications and still took no action, that would fall under intentional crime."
Former Chief Lee was indicted on charges including professional negligence resulting in death or injury for failing to foresee safety accidents despite the large crowds in the Itaewon area on the day of the disaster, and for not taking timely measures such as deploying the riot police and controlling roads, which exacerbated the casualties. In a previous trial, Lee’s defense attorney argued that until 10:36 p.m., when the first order to mobilize personnel related to the disaster was given, the radio communications did not allow for an accurate understanding of the disaster.
At the trial that day, Choi Mo, a member of the Yongsan Police Station’s security department who assisted former Chief Lee in listening to and directing radio communications during the disaster, appeared as a witness. Choi testified that until around 10:35 p.m. on the day of the disaster, when he heard a radio call requesting criminal personnel, both he and former Chief Lee thought it was a case of 'group assault.' He also said, "From 6 p.m., there were continuous reports of people being crushed to death in the control room, and such reports occur every Halloween, so we thought it was normal."
The indictment states that at the same time, former Chief Lee instructed Choi to check the situation with the Yongsan Police Station 112 Security Comprehensive Situation Room, and after Choi communicated with the situation room, he reported that "there are continuous reports of people being crushed to death."
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