Special Investigation Unit Summons Former Yongsan Police Chief and Yongsan Fire Station Chief, Now Moving Toward Higher-Ups

6 People Initially Booked in Early Investigation, First Round of Interrogations Completed
Summoning of Kim Kwang-ho, Seoul Police Chief, Considered After Investigation
Ministry of the Interior's Investigation a Turning Point for Truth Clarification
Additional Bookings to Be Announced on the 23rd

Former Yim Jae, former chief of Yongsan Police Station, is being summoned to the Itaewon Accident Special Investigation Headquarters in Mapo-gu, Seoul on the 21st. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

The Special Investigation Headquarters (Special Investigation Unit) of the National Police Agency will complete the first round of investigations into the suspects initially booked in the early stages of the investigation with the summons of former Yongsan Police Station Chief Lee Im-jae and Yongsan Fire Station Chief Choi Seong-beom on the 21st. The investigation is now focusing on higher authorities responsible for command and supervision over disaster and safety.

On the morning of the 21st, starting at 9 a.m., the Special Investigation Unit summoned former Chief Lee and Chief Choi, who are accused of professional negligence resulting in death and injury, at one-hour intervals for questioning. It is reported that the unit is concentrating on specifying the criminal charges against them, as their legal responsibility is directly linked to determining the cause of the accident. Previously, the unit had summoned numerous police and fire officials as witnesses for intensive questioning to examine whether these key suspects responded appropriately immediately after the incident.

This summons marks the conclusion of the first round of investigations into the six suspects initially booked by the Special Investigation Unit. On the 14th, the unit questioned the former intelligence division chief (Police Superintendent) of Yongsan Police Station, who is accused of evidence tampering, and on the 19th, they summoned Park Hee-young, Mayor of Yongsan District, and Ryu Mi-jin, former head of personnel and education at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (Senior Superintendent), who are accused of professional negligence resulting in death and injury and dereliction of duty, respectively. The case involving Jeong Mo, former intelligence section chief of Yongsan Police Station, who died on the 11th during the investigation, will be closed due to ‘lack of prosecutorial rights’.

The Special Investigation Unit plans to conduct additional investigations into the six suspects, including former Chief Lee, this week. A unit official stated at a briefing that "if necessary, a third round of questioning could take place next week." The possibility of applying for arrest warrants cannot be ruled out during this process. Additionally, regarding suspicions that a risk analysis report was deleted during the Halloween period, former Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Public Safety Intelligence and Foreign Affairs Division Chief Park Seong-min (Police Commissioner) will be summoned as a witness within two weeks for questioning. After the investigation, Park’s status may be changed to that of a suspect. The unit will decide whether to summon Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Chief Kim Gwang-ho after conducting further witness questioning.

Decision on Summoning Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Chief Kim Gwang-ho After Witness Questioning... Ministry of the Interior and Safety Investigation a Turning Point for Truth-Finding

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Special Investigation Unit’s probe, which has so far focused on the police and fire departments, is expected to extend to higher authorities. As part of this, on the 17th, the unit conducted raids on the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Seoul Metropolitan Government, securing and analyzing over 3,700 related documents. Once the analysis is complete, the unit plans to summon related individuals for questioning one by one. There is also a possibility that Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min and Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon may be summoned. However, since summoning a sitting minister and mayor for questioning is a sensitive matter, the unit is expected to proceed with great caution.

Inside and outside the police force, the investigation into the Ministry of the Interior and Safety is seen as a turning point for uncovering the truth behind the Itaewon tragedy. Since the minister’s and mayor’s offices were excluded from the targets during the previous raids on the Ministry and Seoul City, there is speculation that the investigation might only skim the periphery and conclude without substantial progress. If this happens, criticism accusing the Special Investigation Unit of ‘scapegoating’ may intensify again. A unit official said, "We are verifying the appropriateness of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s and Seoul City’s pre- and post-incident measures regarding the Itaewon tragedy," adding, "We are keeping all possibilities open during the investigation."

The Special Investigation Unit plans to announce additional suspects related to this tragedy on the 23rd. These will be based on extensive witness questioning and analysis of seized materials. Among the likely candidates mentioned within the police are the head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Situation Team 3 and the deputy mayor of Yongsan District. Given the ongoing forced investigations into the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Seoul City, and Seoul Metro, employees affiliated with these organizations may also be booked as suspects. A unit official stated, "Although general employees are included and we cannot disclose their names and positions precisely, we plan to publicly announce the main suspects."

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