To the Press: "Please, just write the facts"
To Team Members: "Do not lie to evade responsibility"
"I am sorry I could not protect him until the end."
The duty team leader at the police substation, who was on shift when Marine Police Sergeant Lee Jaeseok (34) died in the line of duty while rescuing a person stranded on a mudflat, visited the memorial site of the bereaved families to apologize.
According to Yonhap News on September 22, Officer A, who was the duty team leader at the time of the accident, visited the Sky Whale Observatory on Yeongheungdo, Ongjin County, Incheon, where the memorial event was held that morning. He told the bereaved families, "Sergeant Lee Jaeseok was the most trusted and valued team member," and added, "I am deeply sorry that I could not protect Jaeseok until the very end."
The bereaved families, enraged: "Do you even know where you are coming?"
Sergeant Lee Jaeseok, a marine police officer who died in the line of duty while rescuing a person stranded on a mudflat, is seen on the 22nd visiting the duty team leader at the police substation to apologize at the memorial site of the bereaved families. Photo by Yonhap News
On this day, the 11th since the line-of-duty death, the bereaved families visited the accident site to pay tribute. Without prior notice, Officer A appeared at the scene, knelt down with a chrysanthemum in hand, and apologized. The bereaved families threw chrysanthemums at Officer A's face in fury. One family member shouted, "Why are you here?" and "Did you even apologize at the funeral?" expressing their anger.
Officer A stated, "There are objective records such as drone footage and radio communications from the incident, so the facts cannot be distorted," and added, "The cause and issues behind this tragic incident must be revealed as they truly are." He also addressed his team members, saying, "This is my final instruction and request: every team member should cooperate sincerely with the prosecution's investigation, and do not make any public statements based on lies or assumptions to evade responsibility."
Officer A told the reporters, "What you know is not everything," and pleaded, "Please, just write the facts." He then refused to answer any further questions from the press. After making his statement, he said he would leave chrysanthemums near the accident site at Kkotseom and entered the mudflat. The Coast Guard and fire authorities followed him out of concern for his safety.
On the 15th, at the Incheon West District Incheon Coast Guard Station, the bereaved family is offering flowers at the funeral ceremony of the late Coast Guard Officer Lee Jaeseok. Photo by Yonhap News Agency Joint Coverage
On September 11 at 2:16 a.m., Sergeant Lee confirmed that a Chinese national in his 70s, Mr. B, was stranded on the mudflat at Kkotseom and responded alone, handing over a life jacket and attempting a rescue. However, about an hour later, at 3:27 a.m., he was swept away by the rising tide and went missing. He was found in cardiac arrest about six hours later, at 9:41 a.m., in the waters near Kkotseom, Yeongheung-myeon, Ongjin County, Incheon.
At the time of the incident, Sergeant Lee was on duty with a total of six people, but it was reported that four, excluding Lee and the team leader, were resting. It was also confirmed that the duty team leader did not wake the other colleagues and, although he suggested reporting to higher authorities first, the actual report was made about an hour later. The prosecution has formed a special investigation team to look into various suspicions surrounding Sergeant Lee's line-of-duty death.
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