Prosecution Requests Supplementary and Reinvesigation in 'Hadong Patrol Car Death' Case

by Lee Seryeong

Pubilshed 07 Aug.2025 18:32(KST)

The prosecution has requested supplementary investigation and a reinvestigation from the police regarding the transfer of police officers on charges of negligent duty in connection with the 'Hadong Police Substation Patrol Car Death Incident' that occurred in August last year.

According to the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency on August 7, the prosecution requested additional investigation into Officer A, who was transferred on charges of occupational negligence resulting in death, and Inspector B, who was transferred on charges of dereliction of duty, on August 5.

The prosecution also requested a reinvestigation into Officer C, Officer D, and Inspector E, who had not been transferred because the charges of occupational negligence resulting in death were not recognized.

Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency. Photo by Lee Seryeong

Previously, at around 2:00 p.m. on August 17 last year, a woman in her 40s was found dead in the back seat of a patrol car parked at the Jingyo Police Substation parking lot of Hadong Police Station in South Gyeongsang Province.

This woman had entered the unlocked patrol car at around 2:00 a.m. the previous day. She was trapped for 36 hours in the back seat, which could not be opened from the inside due to the lack of an interior door handle and was separated from the front seats by a safety partition, and subsequently died.

According to the police investigation, during this process, officers failed to follow protocols such as locking the patrol car doors when parking, remaining at their designated posts during duty, and conducting patrols at scheduled times.

The first autopsy found that the woman died at around 2:00 p.m. on August 16, approximately 12 hours after entering the vehicle. It was pointed out that if officers had properly conducted the scheduled patrols at 6:00-7:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., and 2:00-3:00 p.m. on August 16, or the shift change at 8:30 a.m. on August 16, she could have been discovered earlier.

Based on the investigation results, the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency transferred Officer A to the prosecution on charges of occupational negligence resulting in death for failing to lock the patrol car, and Inspector B on charges of dereliction of duty for failing to properly monitor the situation.

However, the agency decided not to transfer Officer C, who did not check the back seat during the patrol car handover, and Officer D and Inspector E, who did not conduct vehicle patrols, as it determined that charges of occupational negligence resulting in death were not applicable to them.

Of the 16 staff members at Jingyo Police Substation, the Gyeongnam Provincial Police Agency transferred all 13 on-duty officers, excluding 3 who were on leave at the time, and has been investigating those involved since September last year.

Decisions regarding disciplinary action and transfers were made based on a comprehensive review of internal investigation team opinions and the findings of an investigation review committee composed of 11 legal experts, including lawyers and university professors.