Special Investigation Unit Adds 9 More, Including Former Seoul Police Intelligence Chief, Over 'Report Deletion Suspicion'

The total number of suspects rises to 17
Some face detention warrant requests next week

The signboard of the Itaewon Accident Special Investigation Headquarters (Special Investigation Unit), investigating the inadequate response to the 'Itaewon Disaster,' is hung at the entrance of the Mapo Police Station in Mapo-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy reporters Seongpil Jo and Gyumin Oh] The Police Agency's Special Investigation Headquarters (Special Investigation HQ), investigating the Itaewon tragedy, converted former Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Public Safety Information and Foreign Affairs Division Chief (Senior Superintendent) Park Seong-min into a suspect on the 23rd and began an investigation. This is an additional indictment regarding the suspicion of deleting the risk analysis report during the Halloween period. The Special Investigation HQ plans to summon and investigate Senior Superintendent Park the following day.

Former Seoul Police Information Chief to be Summoned as Suspect on the 24th

Kim Dong-wook, spokesperson for the Special Investigation HQ, announced this during a briefing held at the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Mapo Office that morning. According to the Special Investigation HQ, Senior Superintendent Park is suspected of instructing the deletion of information reports in a messenger chatroom where intelligence chiefs from frontline police stations, including Yongsan Police Station, gathered, saying "Delete the information reports to prepare for inspection and seizure" after the Itaewon tragedy occurred. The Special Investigation HQ received a request for investigation from the Police Agency's Special Inspection Team, which placed Senior Superintendent Park on standby on the 14th. Until now, the Special Investigation HQ had maintained Park's status as a witness, but after analyzing seized items and testimonies from related parties, they judged there was probable cause for a crime and converted him into a suspect on this day.

Regarding this suspicion, the Special Investigation HQ had previously indicted Kim (last name), former intelligence chief of Yongsan Police Station, on the 6th for abuse of authority, obstruction of evidence, and professional negligence causing death or injury, and had been conducting an investigation. On the 15th, Kim was summoned as a suspect to confirm whether he propagated Park's deletion instructions. The Special Investigation HQ also summoned Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency intelligence department staff as witnesses to inquire about when they became aware of the report. This is because if Senior Superintendent Park knew about the report's existence before issuing deletion instructions in the messenger chatroom and judged it would be problematic, it could be seen as intentional evidence destruction. Based on this investigation, the Special Investigation HQ plans to conduct a summons investigation of Senior Superintendent Park the following day.

On the afternoon of the 17th, special investigation team officers conducted a search and seizure at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters in the Government Seoul Office Building and are coming out.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

A Total of 9 Additional Indictments... Ministry of the Interior and Safety and Seoul City Not Yet

The Special Investigation HQ announced that, besides Senior Superintendent Park, eight additional personnel including intelligence department staff from Yongsan Police Station were indicted. By institution, the police included the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Situation Team 3 leader and Yongsan Police Station Situation Room chief. At Yongsan District Office, three people including the deputy district mayor, director of the Safety, Construction, and Transportation Bureau, and head of the Disaster Safety Division were converted into suspects. The fire department also indicted the command field team leader additionally. Furthermore, the Itaewon Station chief became a suspect in relation to the 'non-stop request' on the day of the tragedy. Among the additional indicted persons, except for Senior Superintendent Park and Yongsan Police Station intelligence staff, all were charged with professional negligence causing death or injury. This brings the total number of suspects indicted by the Special Investigation HQ related to the Itaewon tragedy to 17.

However, the Special Investigation HQ has not indicted employees of higher-level agencies responsible for disaster and safety command and supervision, such as the Ministry of the Interior and Safety or Seoul City. The Special Investigation HQ had conducted searches and seizures at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and Seoul City on the 17th. To indict suspects, it is necessary to analyze all 3,700 pieces of secured materials and investigate related personnel, but it appears they have not yet reached that stage. A Special Investigation HQ official said, "We are continuing to analyze the seized items," adding, "We plan to summon Ministry of the Interior and Safety employees for investigation soon and are coordinating schedules with Seoul City employees." The Special Investigation HQ is also reportedly still reviewing whether to indict Choi Jae-won, director of Yongsan Health Center, who was summoned for questioning the previous day. Director Choi arrived near the scene shortly after the tragedy but returned to Yongsan District Office citing the large crowd, raising suspicions about his unclear whereabouts and initial inadequate response.

Minister of the Interior and Safety Sang-min Lee / Photo by Dongju Yoon doso7@

Some Existing Major Suspects to Face Arrest Warrants Next Week

On this day, the Special Investigation HQ summoned and is investigating Ko Jin-young, chairman of the Firefighters' Union of the Korean Government Employees' Union Federation (Gongnochoong Firefighters' Union), who filed a complaint against Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min. The Gongnochoong Firefighters' Union had filed a complaint with the Special Investigation HQ on the 14th accusing Minister Lee of dereliction of duty and professional negligence causing death or injury. The Special Investigation HQ is investigating the firefighters' union complaint against Minister Lee separately from the existing investigation into the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's inadequate response.

Additionally, the Special Investigation HQ is continuing investigations of the Yongsan Police Station 112 Situation Room chief and Yongsan District Office deputy district mayor, while coordinating second investigation schedules for major suspects including former Yongsan Police Station chief Lee Im-jae. A Special Investigation HQ official stated, "Among existing suspects except for Yongsan District Mayor Park Hee-young, former chief Lee, Senior Superintendent Ryu Mi-jin, and Yongsan Fire Station chief Choi Seong-beom plan to complete their second investigations in two weeks," adding, "We plan to apply for arrest warrants for some suspects next week."

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