[Exclusive] ‘Service Regulations’ Not Applied to Top Rank... Yoon Hee-geun Did Not Request Leave on Memorial Day

Frontline Police Ordered to Return Within '2 Hours'... Commissioner Exempt
Despite Flawed Service Rules, National Police Agency Says "No Regulatory Issues"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporters Jang Sehee and Yoo Byungdon] It has been confirmed that on the 29th of last month, when the Itaewon tragedy occurred, Police Chief Yoon Hee-geun, who was in Jecheon, Chungbuk, did not enter his leave or out-of-area travel details into the system. While the return restriction time usually applied to frontline police officers does not operate for the chief of police, who is the overall security head, this has been pointed out as a system absence.

According to the 'October 29th Leave Registration Details of Chief Yoon (including in-area and out-of-area travel)' submitted by the National Police Agency to the National Assembly on the 18th, Chief Yoon had no separate system registration regarding leaving Seoul on that day.

For police officers working on the front lines, whether on weekdays or weekends, if they cannot return to their jurisdiction within two hours, they are required to register 'out-of-area travel' in advance. According to Article 13 (Restriction on Travel) of the Police Officer Service Regulations, police officers must report to the head of their affiliated police agency if they intend to travel to an area where it is difficult to return to duty within two hours outside of working hours or days off.

However, in Chief Yoon's case, as he holds the highest rank, this regulation does not apply. Ultimately, strict regulations were applied only to field personnel. A National Police Agency official said, "Since the police chief himself holds the highest rank, this service regulation does not apply," adding, "While there may be moral or managerial responsibility, there is no problem under the current regulations."

There have been criticisms that the Itaewon tragedy was delayed in on-site command because the police chief left the Seoul jurisdiction. On the day of the Itaewon tragedy, Chief Yoon visited Cheongju City in Chungbuk and fell asleep around 11 p.m. He then received a phone report from the situation officer at 12:14 a.m. the next day, departed for Seoul, and presided over the command meeting only at around 2:30 a.m. He returned to Seoul four hours after the accident occurred.

A frontline police officer said, "Even if you leave the Seoul area and go to the Gyeonggi area, you must report if you cannot return within two hours," adding, "Especially when a major accident occurs, if you are not near the office, it can be an issue." Another police officer said, "Most register out-of-area travel when leaving the area where their affiliated agency is located to prepare for emergencies," and added, "If the chief is in another area, this should also be shared."

Professor Bae Sang-hoon of the Department of Police Science at Woosuk University said, "Responsibility should follow authority, but that is not the case at all," and added, "Since he is in charge of the police organization, he should have left a record of his movement route even if it meant 'self-approval.'" He continued, "Unlike junior officers such as patrol officers, since he holds command authority, he should strictly follow service regulations even more," and said, "It is completely reversed that the regulations do not apply when the higher-ups should set an example first."

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