Special Investigation Unit Conducts Second Inquiry of Former Yongsan Police Chief... Key Suspects Sequentially Recalled

Plan to Request Arrest Warrant Next Week After Immigration Investigation

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

[Asia Economy Reporter Seongpil Cho] The Special Investigation Headquarters (SIH) of the National Police Agency, which is investigating the Itaewon disaster, will consecutively re-summon key suspects, including former Yongsan Police Station Chief (Senior Superintendent) Lee Im-jae, who was initially booked, starting from the 24th.

On this day, the SIH plans to summon former Chief Lee again in the afternoon for questioning on charges including professional negligence resulting in death and injury. Former Chief Lee was previously questioned for over 11 hours starting on the morning of the 21st before being sent home. The SIH booked him on the 6th on suspicion of delayed response and failure to take prior measures despite the clear expectation of crowds during the Halloween period, as well as arriving late at the scene. During the first investigation, the SIH questioned former Chief Lee about why he arrived late at the accident site and delayed reporting to the police command, as well as how the Halloween preparations were handled.

The SIH is reportedly planning to focus on clarifying the facts surrounding the request for the deployment of the riot police from Yongsan Police Station. Former Chief Lee previously stated in the National Assembly, "I requested the deployment of the riot police to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency as a safety measure for Halloween, but it was not accepted due to manpower shortages." However, the SIH has stated that through analysis of seized materials and witness interviews, they have not found evidence that Yongsan Police Station requested the riot police. Statements from related parties are reportedly conflicting.

According to the SIH, former Chief Lee also could not clearly recall the exact timing or recipients of the orders regarding the riot police request during the first investigation. To verify former Chief Lee’s testimony, the SIH is also re-summoning and questioning Song Mo, former head of the Yongsan Police Station 112 Situation Room, on this day. Song was questioned as a suspect the previous day and returned home shortly after 10 p.m.

On the 25th, the SIH plans to re-summon former Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Personnel and Education Division Chief (Senior Superintendent) Ryu Mi-jin, and on the 26th, Chief Choi Seong-beom for further questioning. They were previously summoned and questioned on the 18th and 21st, respectively. After completing investigations of these key suspects in the coming weeks, the SIH plans to apply for arrest warrants for some of them next week. A SIH official stated, "We have been continuously consulting with the prosecution in preparation for applying for arrest warrants," implying confidence in proving the charges and obtaining warrant approval.

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