Itaewon Disaster Joint Investigation Team Indicts Former Yongsan Fire Chief Without Detention

The joint prosecution-police investigation team tasked with uncovering the truth behind the Itaewon disaster has once again brought Choi Seongbeom, the former chief of Yongsan Fire Station, to trial over allegations of an inadequate response. This overturns a previous decision in which he was not indicted, following a reinvestigation of the case.

On April 24, the investigation team announced that former Chief Choi had been charged without detention on suspicion of occupational negligence resulting in death and injury. According to the team, at the time of the disaster, Choi was sufficiently aware of the risk of an accident due to the large crowd but failed to take preemptive action, and, even after the incident, the rescue and other response measures were not carried out in a timely manner.

On October 29, 2024, the second anniversary of the Itaewon Halloween disaster, memorial flower bouquets were placed in the alleyway at the accident site in Itaewon, Seoul. Photo by Heo Younghan

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This reinvestigation was launched after the '10·29 Itaewon Disaster' Special Investigation Committee requested a renewed probe in January 2024. The committee, citing new materials such as radio transcripts, situation logs, CCTV footage, and expert opinions, argued that a criminal judgment was necessary to determine whether disaster response duties had been fulfilled.

However, the investigation team maintained its decision not to indict Lee Bonghak, the former field command team leader at the scene, stating that it was difficult to acknowledge any charges against him. Both former Chief Choi and former Team Leader Lee were previously investigated on the same charges in 2024 but were not indicted at that time.

The joint investigation team stated, "We will do our utmost to maintain the prosecution so that an appropriate sentence is handed down during the upcoming trial, and we will continue to conduct rigorous investigations into other ongoing cases."

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