Police Complete Search and Seizure at Six Locations Including Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and Yongsan District Office in 'Itaewon Disaster' Case

On the afternoon of the 2nd, when the police special investigation headquarters investigating the poor response to the 'Itaewon disaster' began a forced investigation into the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, Yongsan Police Station, and Yongsan District Office, the entrance of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in Jongno-gu was seen.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] The National Police Agency's Special Investigation Headquarters (Special Investigation HQ) has mostly completed the search and seizure operations conducted at seven locations, including the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, related to the inadequate response to the Itaewon disaster, after about five hours. The operation at the Dasan Call Center is still ongoing.

The Special Investigation HQ deployed investigators from 2 p.m. to around 7 p.m. to conduct search and seizure operations at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, Yongsan Police Station, Yongsan District Office, Seoul Fire & Disaster Headquarters Seoul Comprehensive Disaster Prevention Center, Yongsan Fire Station, and Seoul Transportation Corporation. The search and seizure at the Dasan Call Center has not yet been completed. Itaewon Station, initially known as a target for the search, was not subjected to the warrant execution on this day. The Special Investigation HQ plans to conduct another search and seizure at Itaewon Station later.

On this day, the Special Investigation HQ reportedly secured materials related to 112 emergency calls on the day of the disaster and documents on the Halloween security plan from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and others. Through the materials obtained from the search and seizure, the Special Investigation HQ plans to examine whether the police officers responsible for handling the 11 reports received over about four hours before the disaster fulfilled their duties, and whether the responses of commanders and personnel at various levels who received the reports were appropriate.

According to the 11 recorded emergency call transcripts released by the National Police Agency on the 1st, despite specific reports expressing concerns about safety accidents such as 'crushing,' the police reportedly did not take active measures such as increasing security personnel. After the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's 112 Comprehensive Security Situation Room received the reports, they were relayed to the Yongsan Police Station's 112 Security Situation Room, but only four of the 11 reports resulted in on-site dispatch. There is also suspicion under investigation that the Yongsan Police Station requested support from the riot police ahead of Halloween, but the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency rejected it.

The Special Investigation HQ is known to have executed search warrants on the Yongsan District Office, including the district mayor's office and the Safety and Disaster Department. This is interpreted as a procedure to investigate suspicions that, despite holding a 'Halloween Safety Measures Meeting' with the police station and Itaewon Station on the 26th of last month, three days before the disaster, the Yongsan District Office did not establish appropriate personnel safety measures. Additionally, the Special Investigation HQ reportedly searched the situation rooms of the Yongsan Fire Station and the Seoul Comprehensive Disaster Prevention Center of the Seoul Fire & Disaster Headquarters to secure records related to disaster reports.

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