In response to the non-disclosure of the investigation into alleged evidence destruction by the company-an investigation requested by the bereaved families following the 'Sacheon Quarry Vehicle Fall Fatal Accident' in Gyeongnam last August-the labor community in Gyeongnam has voiced its opposition.
The Gyeongnam branch of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) issued a press release on the 13th, stating, "The bereaved families, feeling frustration and anger over the results of the Gyeongnam Police Agency's investigation, applied for the disclosure of all investigation records, but the police said they could not make them public."
They added, "The information the bereaved families seek is the list of investigation records, and they intended to request specific investigation materials based on this. However, with the non-disclosure, they are now unable to know even the basic details of how the investigation was conducted."
They continued, "We denounce the decision not to disclose the list of investigation records," and stated, "We will hold those responsible accountable and file an objection with the prosecution to have the matter reconsidered."
A firefighter is inspecting the inside of a vehicle that fell while driving on a road within a quarry of a gravel production company in Sacheon, Gyeongnam. Provided by Gyeongnam Fire Headquarters.
On August 2 last year, a sport utility vehicle (SUV) traveling on a road within a quarry of an aggregate production company in Sacheon-eup, Sacheon City, fell 4 meters, resulting in the deaths of two people: the driver in his 60s and a passenger in his 50s, who suffered severe head and other injuries.
Superintendent A, who was in charge of the case, determined that the accident was a simple traffic incident caused by driver error, with the vehicle overturning and the occupants being fatally struck by sharp rocks.
However, after securing closed-circuit (CC) TV footage from the scene, the bereaved families argued that a serious industrial accident had occurred, pointing to the fact that blasting took place as the vehicle approached an area where explosives had been set. This led to controversy over an allegedly inadequate investigation. In October of that year, the bereaved families, together with the KCTU, filed a police complaint against Superintendent A of Sacheon Police Station and others, accusing them of dereliction of duty.
After conducting an investigation, the Gyeongnam Police Agency recently decided not to refer the officers accused of negligence to the prosecution, having determined that the incident was a simple traffic accident at the time.
The police explained, "The officers in charge at the time relied on eyewitness statements, omitted a forensic examination of the accident vehicle, failed in oversight, and inadequately searched the vehicle's interior, resulting in insufficient initial measures." However, they also stated, "We conducted the investigation according to procedures for initial response and traffic accident handling, including on-site investigation, witness interviews, autopsy of the deceased, and retrieval of the black box. Therefore, it is difficult to conclude that the officers intentionally neglected or abandoned their duties," explaining the reason for not referring the case.
According to the union, the police informed the bereaved families on the 13th that the decision to withhold information was based on Article 9, Paragraph 1, Subparagraph 4 of the Act on Disclosure of Information by Public Agencies, which allows for non-disclosure if releasing the information would significantly impede the performance of duties related to criminal investigations.
A police official stated, "The bereaved families requested disclosure of all investigation records, but as these include personal information of other parties involved, we decided not to disclose them. We were in the process of discussing that if they specify the necessary information, we could make it available."
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