Seoul Western District Court 9th Trial Session on 18th
Charges of Evidence Tampering and Damage to Public Electronic Records
Prison sentences have been requested for police officials who were indicted on charges of ordering the deletion of police information reports containing on-site response details related to the Itaewon disaster.
On the 18th, the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office requested the court to sentence Park Seong-min (56), former head of the Public Safety Information and Foreign Affairs Division of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (Senior Superintendent), to three years in prison during the sentencing hearing presided over by Judge Bae Seong-jung of the 11th Criminal Division at the Seoul Western District Court. The prosecution also requested the same three-year prison sentence for Kim Jin-ho (53), former head of the Intelligence Division at Yongsan Police Station (Police Superintendent).
In their closing statement, the prosecution said, "We pray for the repose of those who lost their lives in the Itaewon disaster and offer our condolences to the bereaved families who are enduring indescribable pain."
Park and Kim were indicted on charges of instructing the deletion of four intelligence reports, including a Specific Information Request (SRI) report produced by the intelligence officer at Yongsan Police Station, from work computers on November 2 of last year, shortly after the Itaewon disaster occurred. The charges include obstruction of evidence and damage to public electronic records.
They have argued that the problematic reports had already been submitted to higher authorities, so the purpose was achieved, and therefore the deletion was conducted properly according to regulations.
However, the prosecution pointed out that the reports ordered to be deleted "constitute evidence in criminal or disciplinary cases against police officials who were warned in advance about the risks." They added, "Since the purpose was not fulfilled, these materials should not have been destroyed."
The prosecution also stated that the reports have value as reference materials for future police disaster response planning and as evidence of the work performance of frontline police stations, so they are not subject to disposal because their purpose was not achieved. The prosecution said, "During the process of ordering deletion, there was explicit mention of preparation for investigation and inspection, and deletion was repeatedly ordered to subordinates, indicating the seriousness and bad nature of the offense."
In his final statement, Park said, "I deeply regret that I only thought about the department and tasks I was in charge of without considering public sentiment and the truth-finding process." However, he maintained his innocence, saying, "I never specifically ordered the deletion of the reports."
Kim also denied the charge of persuading the staff who prepared the intelligence reports to act as if they had never prepared them. He claimed that the deletion order was simply following Park's instructions and asserted his innocence. Kim tearfully said, "I did not persuade or ignore (my subordinates). Due to some media reports, I have received irreparable criticism, and my family and relatives see me as the intelligence chief who ignored and persuaded them."
The prosecution requested a one-year prison sentence for Kwak (41), a former intelligence officer at Yongsan Police Station who was indicted for deleting the reports under their orders.
In the courtroom that day, Im Ik-cheol, father of the late Im Jong-won who died in the Itaewon disaster, spoke from the gallery urging severe punishment for the defendants. With the judge's permission, Im took the microphone and said, "Right after the disaster, no one took responsibility, and everyone was obsessed with covering up the truth. If Park Seong-min and Kim Jin-ho are not punished, the bereaved families will no longer be able to trust the police as a state institution."
This is the first time the prosecution has made sentencing requests against police officials indicted in connection with the Itaewon disaster. The prosecution is also investigating Park on additional charges of damage to public electronic records after detecting circumstances where reports produced by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency itself, besides those created and deleted at Yongsan Police Station, were deleted.
The final verdict is scheduled for 3 p.m. on February 14, 2024, at the Seoul Western District Court.
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