Seoul Police Agency and Yongsan Station 'Request for Riot Police' Controversy... Between Security and Traffic

Former Yongsan Police Station Chief Lee Im-jae is being summoned to the Itaewon Accident Special Investigation Headquarters in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on the 21st. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

"Before the Itaewon tragedy occurred, we requested the deployment of a riot police unit to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency as part of safety measures for Halloween." (Former Yongsan Police Station Chief Lee Im-jae)

"There is no record of receiving a request for a 'security' riot police unit from Yongsan Police Station before the Itaewon tragedy." (Kim Kwang-ho, Commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency)

The controversy over the authenticity of the 'riot police unit request' between the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and Yongsan Police Station is spreading. Many point out that if the riot police unit had been deployed at the scene in advance during the tragedy, the damage could have been reduced. However, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and Yongsan Police Station present conflicting claims regarding this request for the riot police unit.

The controversy began with a statement made by former Chief Lee at the National Assembly's Public Administration and Security Committee plenary session on the 16th. He said at the time, "I requested the deployment of a riot police unit to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency before the tragedy, but it was not accepted due to manpower shortages." If former Chief Lee's statement to the National Assembly is true, the higher authority, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, could bear greater official responsibility than currently acknowledged. The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency denies the statement, claiming it is not true. Commissioner Kim Kwang-ho also stated in writing on the 21st, "After rechecking, there is no record of receiving a request for a 'security' riot police unit from Yongsan Police Station related to Halloween." Commissioner Kim added, "Since an internal inspection and investigation are currently underway, the facts will be clearly revealed."

The authenticity controversy is being examined by the Special Investigation Headquarters (Special Investigation Unit) of the National Police Agency, which is investigating the Itaewon tragedy. So far, the Special Investigation Unit has not found any evidence of Yongsan Police Station requesting a 'security' riot police unit in the materials seized and witness interviews conducted. However, the Special Investigation Unit confirmed that Yongsan Police Station did request a 'traffic' riot police unit, not a 'security' riot police unit. This essentially means that Commissioner Kim's statement that there was no request for a 'security' riot police unit and former Chief Lee's claim that a riot police unit was requested are both not incorrect.

Kim Kwang-ho, Commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, is attending an emergency inquiry on the Itaewon tragedy held at the National Assembly on the 7th, responding to questions from lawmakers. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

Then, why did Yongsan Police Station request a traffic riot police unit instead of a security riot police unit? Both security and traffic riot police units are part of the riot police with experience, but their assigned duties differ. As the names suggest, the security riot police unit's main duties involve suppressing assemblies and demonstrations, while the traffic riot police unit primarily handles vehicle control. The consensus within the police is that the riot police unit deployed as a safety measure during the Itaewon Halloween period would naturally be the security riot police unit, not the traffic riot police unit. This is supported by the fact that among the approximately 90 riot police units under the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's jurisdiction, only one unit exclusively performs traffic duties. Moreover, on the day of the tragedy, the traffic riot police unit in question was already deployed to a large-scale demonstration in the city center.

The reactions of frontline police officers regarding this authenticity controversy are generally similar. One police official said, "When we say riot police unit, it usually refers to the security riot police unit," adding, "Seeing the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency specifically mention 'security' riot police unit makes me feel bitter, as if they are trying to avoid some responsibility." An employee from the security department of a frontline police station said, "I don't understand why Yongsan Police Station requested a traffic riot police unit instead of a security riot police unit," and added, "Considering the circumstances before and after the request, it is common sense to call for a security riot police unit."

The Special Investigation Unit is also paying close attention to this matter. A Special Investigation Unit official said, "We need to investigate how the Yongsan Police Station staff interpreted former Chief Lee's words and why they requested a traffic riot police unit instead of a security riot police unit, or whether former Chief Lee specifically instructed to request a security riot police unit." It is known that the Special Investigation Unit intensely questioned former Chief Lee about this issue the day before.

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