Cheongju Mayor Lee Beom-seok Undergoes 16-Hour Prosecutor Investigation Related to Osong Incident

Prosecutors First Summon Agency Head Related to Osong Disaster

Mayor Beom-seok Lee of Cheongju was summoned for investigation by the prosecution in connection with the responsibility for the Osong underpass disaster that resulted in 14 deaths. This summons marks the first case among heads of institutions accused under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.

According to the Osong Disaster Investigation Headquarters of the Cheongju District Prosecutors' Office on the 27th, Mayor Lee was privately summoned as a suspect at around 9:30 a.m. the previous day. As the highest disaster responsibility officer of Cheongju City, he was questioned for 16 hours regarding whether he responded appropriately to the disaster situation and returned home around 1 a.m. that day.

Osong Underpass.

The prosecution reportedly focused on why Mayor Lee, despite being informed by the Geumgang Flood Control Office that the Miho River had reached the planned flood level on the day of the disaster, did not notify Chungbuk Province or implement road control measures. In response, Mayor Lee explained that "the underpass in question (Gungpyeong 2nd Underpass) falls under the jurisdiction of Chungbuk Province, so the city hall has no management responsibility."

Earlier, bereaved families and civic groups filed complaints with the prosecution against Mayor Lee, Governor Young-hwan Kim of Chungbuk Province, and Sang-rae Lee, former head of the Administrative City Construction Agency, for violating the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.