17 Dead and Injured in 'Gwangju Disaster'... KNP Accelerates Investigation into Cause of First Major Disaster Incident

Joint Investigation Team Elevated to Investigation Headquarters
10 Witnesses Questioned... Joint Forensic Examination This Afternoon
"Thorough Investigation to Leave No Doubt"

On the morning of the 10th, the search for buried victims, which had been temporarily halted at the site of the collapsed building in the redevelopment area of Hakdong, Dong-gu, Gwangju, is resuming.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy reporters Kwanju Lee and Donghoon Jung] The police investigating the ‘Gwangju Hakdong building collapse accident,’ which resulted in 17 casualties, have elevated the joint investigation team to an investigation headquarters and are launching a full-scale effort to determine the cause of the accident. This is the first major disaster since the launch of the National Investigation Headquarters (NIH) under the National Police Agency in January this year. The police plan to quickly clarify the exact cause of the accident and expedite the punishment of those responsible.

On the 10th, the NIH announced, "We have elevated the Gwangju Police Agency joint investigation team to an investigation headquarters led by the head of the Gwangju Police Agency Investigation Department (Senior Superintendent) and will deploy the Violent Crime Investigation Unit and the Anti-Corruption and Economic Crime Investigation Unit to conduct a swift and strict investigation."

The NIH explained that the decision to elevate the investigation headquarters was made considering ▲ the occurrence of multiple casualties ▲ the high public interest as the incident happened in everyday life ▲ the need for rapid cause identification through focused investigation. Additionally, the NIH plans to regularly update victims and their families on the investigation progress and form a ‘Victim Protection Task Force’ to provide support activities such as medical treatment and psychological stabilization.

The police questioned 10 people, including the site manager and demolition construction personnel, as well as witnesses, the day before the accident, collecting related testimonies. Among the 10, nine were related to the redevelopment project and demolition site, and one was a direct witness to the accident. Furthermore, at 1 p.m. on the same day, a joint on-site inspection with the National Forensic Service will be conducted to begin a full-scale investigation into the cause of the accident. Depending on the site conditions and investigation results, multiple inspections may be conducted.

Professor Jaewook Jung of the Department of Safety Engineering at Seoul National University of Science and Technology said, "The dismantled materials piled up during the demolition process can exert lateral forces on the building, and it seems this aspect was overlooked. It is necessary to check whether the supervisor and others tolerated this." He added, "Since the dismantling was done in a very short period and there were few management personnel, it is highly likely that the work was carried out more poorly than planned."

This accident is also notable as the first major disaster with casualties since the NIH was launched following the adjustment of investigative authority this year. The NIH plans to directly command and supervise the investigation process of the investigation headquarters. The NIH stated, "We pray for the souls of those who lost their lives in this accident and extend our deepest condolences and sympathy to the bereaved families," emphasizing, "We will thoroughly investigate this case to leave no room for doubt."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.