D-2 Until Enforcement of the Serious Accident Punishment Act, Police Also Get Busier

Ahead of the official enforcement of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, an investigative agency countermeasure meeting between the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the Supreme Prosecutors' Office, and the National Police Agency is being held at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office on the 21st. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-ju] With the enforcement of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act on the 27th, the scope of police investigations into accidents and disasters will also expand. However, the speed of investigations is inevitably slow in proportion to the increase in workload. This is because it is necessary to identify the responsibility for punishment up to the business owners and management officials related to the workplaces where the accidents occurred. The police are focusing on strengthening investigative capabilities, including expanding specialized investigation teams.

Police Strengthen Expertise... Expansion of Investigation Teams and Personnel

According to the police on the 25th, the National Investigation Headquarters (NIH) of the National Police Agency held a meeting of investigative agencies' countermeasures council on the 21st together with the Supreme Prosecutors' Office and the Ministry of Employment and Labor. At the council, the necessity of communication among related agencies to identify the causes and responsibilities of accidents was agreed upon, and discussions were held on forming a practical investigation council to improve speed and efficiency, as well as establishing an investigation system. Prior to this, on the 5th of this month, the NIH also held a nationwide investigation command video conference to check measures ahead of the enforcement of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act.

The police have been focusing on securing investigative expertise. Since 2017, they have recruited 22 personnel with disaster accident experience, and starting this year, those with more than one year of investigative experience will be assigned to specialized investigation teams in provincial police agencies. Additionally, since June last year, a 'Safety Accident Investigation' training course has been established and operated at the Police Investigation Training Institute. This year, the number of trainees per session will increase from 20 to 30, and the number of sessions will increase from twice to five times annually.

Furthermore, to conduct focused and specialized investigations on major safety accidents, the police recently expanded the specialized investigation teams in provincial police agencies. As a result, specialized investigation teams have been formed in 17 provincial police agencies nationwide, excluding Sejong Police Agency. Depending on the security conditions, these teams will also conduct other investigations, but in principle, they will investigate cases under the Serious Accidents Punishment Act. The police plan to prepare their own investigation manual reflecting necessary measures at the police stage.

On the night of the 24th, marking the second week since the collapse accident at Hwajeong I-Park in Seo-gu, Gwangju, a small excavator was deployed to the 22nd floor to carry out debris removal work. Rescue authorities switched to a 24-hour continuous search and rescue operation system starting that day.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

Complex and Difficult Investigations... Need to Resolve Doubts

Investigations into accidents and disasters take considerable time until clear causes are identified. The fire at a logistics warehouse construction site in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, in April 2020, which resulted in 38 deaths, took about three months to complete the police investigation, which was considered very swift. In the case of the collapse accident at Gwangju Hwajeong Apartments on the 11th, a long-term investigation is inevitable because it is necessary to verify each complex cause of the collapse, as well as issues such as illegal subcontracting, illegal extensions, and safety management responsibilities.

There are also concerns that the Serious Accidents Punishment Act could ignite conflicts between the prosecution and the police. Since 'major disaster crimes' are defined within the prosecution's direct investigation scope, clashes may occur during the investigation process. Doubts have been raised about whether the police can properly investigate major corporations as key business owners and clearly identify local collusive relationships that may cause accidents. At this point, it is necessary to strengthen the police's investigative expertise and objectivity and enhance cooperation with related agencies to resolve these issues. Professor Lee Woong-hyuk of Konkuk University's Department of Police Science said, "With the enforcement of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act, the police must investigate multiple factors comprehensively," adding, "Efforts to further strengthen the collection of related intelligence and investigative expertise from a fair and neutral stance are required."

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