Special Investigation Unit Confirms Command Gap of Yongsan Fire Station Chief... "Lack of Proper On-Site Response Worsened Damage"

Prosecutors Reject Arrest Warrant for Fire Chief Choi Seongbeom
Special Investigation Unit "Hard to Accept"
Future Investigation of Higher-Ups Inevitably Disrupted
Main Suspect Scheduled for Transfer Next Day

Yongsan Fire Station Chief Choi Seong-beom is being summoned to the Itaewon Accident Special Investigation Headquarters in Mapo-gu, Seoul, on the 21st. Photo by Kang Jin-hyeong aymsdream@

[Asia Economy reporters Gong Byung-sun and Choi Tae-won] The Special Investigation Headquarters (SIH) investigating the Itaewon disaster confirmed that Yongsan Fire Station Chief Choi Seong-beom failed to take necessary measures on the day of the disaster, resulting in a command vacuum. Furthermore, the SIH expressed dissatisfaction with the prosecution's rejection of Chief Choi's arrest warrant, stating it was "difficult to accept."

Kim Dong-wook, spokesperson for the SIH, said at a briefing held on the 29th at the Mapo Police Station in Seoul, "When Chief Choi arrived at the scene, many people were already trapped, and he himself said he touched people at the disaster site. It was a situation where he could have immediately declared command and issued a Level 3 alert," adding, "After 11 p.m., a temporary emergency medical station was set up, and on-site personnel reported that severe patients needed to be triaged, but he ordered all the deceased to be sent to Soonchunhyang University Hospital."

Chief Choi is suspected of failing to take appropriate follow-up measures from 10:30 p.m. to 11:08 p.m. on the day of the disaster. According to the SIH, the command team leader reported the situation via radio for about 40 minutes, but Chief Choi showed no significant response. Additionally, he was obligated to deploy two firefighting personnel in front of the Hamilton Hotel to supervise, but this was also not done. The SIH's position is that if Chief Choi had escalated the response level and acted promptly at the scene, the death toll would not have risen to 158.

Prosecution Rejects Fire Chief Choi Seong-beom's Arrest Warrant... Fading Investigation Momentum

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The SIH expressed difficulty in accepting the prosecution's rejection of Chief Choi's arrest warrant. The previous day, the Seoul Western District Prosecutors' Office requested supplementary investigation from the SIH regarding Chief Choi's arrest warrant on charges of professional negligence resulting in death and injury. Spokesperson Kim said, "A significant portion of the prosecution's supplementary investigation requests for Chief Choi's arrest warrant are already documented in the investigation records," adding, "Except for some victims, it is practically impossible to specify the final survival time, rescue time, and neglect time for 158 victims, and we share this view with the prosecution. Therefore, many of their supplementary investigation demands are difficult to accept." He also stated, "We will promptly conduct investigations to the fullest extent regarding the prosecution's supplementary requests and then review whether to reapply for Chief Choi's arrest warrant."

With Chief Choi's arrest warrant effectively rejected, the revived momentum of the investigation is also seen as fading. Former Yongsan Police Chief Lee Im-jae was arrested on the 23rd, and Yongsan District Mayor Park Hee-young on the 26th, which had provided momentum for the SIH's investigation, but this has now stalled again. Spokesperson Kim said, "Since the investigation teams are different, there is no physical impact, but prosecutors are applying for arrest warrants more strictly, so this must be taken into account."

There are also expected setbacks in investigating higher-ups. Fifteen days before the disaster, the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Intelligence Analysis Division produced an intelligence report expressing concerns and countermeasures regarding the crowd, but proper preparations were not made. There is an interpretation that Seoul Police Chief Kim Gwang-ho could also be charged with professional negligence resulting in death and injury, similar to Chief Choi, but with the rejection of the arrest warrant, this has become somewhat difficult. As for Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min and National Police Agency Commissioner Yoon Hee-geun, only witness investigations of their associates are ongoing. Spokesperson Kim said, "The investigation of Chief Kim has been completed," and "The decision on disciplinary action is under review."

Meanwhile, the SIH plans to hand over key suspects to the prosecution the following day. Spokesperson Kim said, "We will transfer former Chief Lee and former Yongsan Police Station 112 Situation Room Chief Song Byung-joo the next day, along with some Yongsan Police Station officers who were under non-custodial investigation," adding, "We cannot specify the exact number yet. We will know after the transfer."

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