Police Agency appoints Im Hyun-gyu, former Police Agency Finance Officer, as new Yongsan Police Station Chief

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] Im Hyun-gyu, Superintendent General and Financial Officer of the National Police Agency, has been appointed as the new chief of the Yongsan Police Station in Seoul.

On the 2nd, the National Police Agency announced that Superintendent General Im was transferred as the successor to former Yongsan Police Station Chief Lee Im-jae, who was placed on standby in connection with the Itaewon tragedy. The new Chief Im, originally from Ulsan, graduated from the Korean National Police University and has served as the Ethics Division Chief at the National Police Agency, Head of the Public Safety Information and Foreign Affairs Division at the Ulsan Police Agency, and Chief of the Ulsan Southern Police Station.

Earlier, the National Police Agency placed former Chief Lee on standby in relation to the Itaewon tragedy. Former Chief Lee is currently under audit by the National Police Agency’s Special Inspection Team due to inadequate police response to 112 emergency calls on the day of the tragedy.

The Yongsan Police Station has faced criticism for failing to prevent the accident despite receiving 11 112 emergency calls warning of the risk of crushing four hours before the tragedy occurred. The Yongsan Police Station is one of the locations subject to search and seizure by the National Police Agency’s Special Investigation Headquarters on that day.

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