Prosecution Seeks 7-Year Prison Sentence for Former Yongsan Police Chief Lee Im-jae over Inadequate Response to Itaewon Disaster

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The prosecution has requested a 7-year prison sentence for Lee Im-jae (54), the former chief of the Yongsan Police Station in Seoul, who was indicted for inadequate response to the Itaewon disaster.

On the 22nd, at the sentencing hearing held at the Seoul Western District Court Criminal Division 11 (Presiding Judge Bae Seong-jung), the prosecution asked for a 7-year prison term for Lee, who was charged with professional negligence resulting in death and injury.

Lee was indicted in January last year on charges that, despite being able to foresee safety accidents due to the large crowds in the Itaewon area on the day of the disaster, he failed to establish accident prevention measures and did not take timely actions such as deploying the riot police and controlling roads, which increased casualties.

Lee also faces charges of instructing staff to falsify the time of his arrival at the scene to cover up the inadequate response (forgery and use of false official documents), and false testimony at a National Assembly hearing, where he testified as if he had recognized the disaster later than he actually did and falsely claimed to have ordered the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency to request support from the riot police unit (violation of the Act on Testimony, Inspection, etc. at the National Assembly).

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