Securing business records before and following the disaster
Public Relations Office is also subject to pressure
▲ Search and seizure in the office of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency
An employee enters the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency on the morning of the 18th, when the Seoul Western District Prosecutor’s Office seized and searched the office of Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Chief Kim Kwang-ho. 2023.1.18 News 1
The prosecution, which is conducting a reinforcement investigation in connection with the Itaewon disaster, has launched a compulsory investigation into Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Commissioner Kim Kwang-ho.
On the 18th, the Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office obtained records related to work before and following the Itaewon disaster at the office of Commissioner Kim, located on the 9th floor of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency in Jongno-gu, Seoul.
Prosecutors also presented a search and seizure warrant to the Public Relations Office of the Seoul Metropolitan Government and confiscated media monitoring records, self-produced documents, and personal electronic devices of some employees.
Previously, the police special investigation headquarters conducted a large-scale search and seizure on November 8 last year, including the office of Commissioner Kim. Afterwards, the special edition investigated Commissioner Kim as a suspect and sent him without detention on charges of business negligence and accidental death.
The special edition judged that Commissioner Kim had not established prior measures in the field of information and security, even though he knew that the Halloween festival might attract crowds in the Itaewon area through related reports. The logic of the special script is that there was negligence that caused the disaster by failing to come up with countermeasures even though it was able to fully predict the occurrence of the disaster.
The prosecution also seized and searched the offices of the Public Security Information and Foreign Affairs Department of the Seoul Metropolitan Government on the 10th to confirm that there was a possibility of foreseeing Commissioner Kim, and secured various documents related to the Halloween festival.
Reporter Kim Joo-yeon