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police also commissioned an investigation by Yongsan Police Chief Lee Im-jae, who was in charge of the scene at the time of the disaster.
A police inspection revealed the circumstances of neglect of duties, such as reporting to superiors only 1 hour and 19 minutes after the accident occurred.
Reporter Han So-hee then reports.
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The Special Inspection Team commissioned an investigation into Yongsan Police Station Chief Lee Im-jae, who had previously been placed on standby by the National Police Agency.
This is the reason that, despite being in charge of the scene, he arrived late at the scene of the accident, neglected command and management, and was late in reporting to superiors.
According to the situation report of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency obtained by SBS, Superintendent Lee gave the first instructions regarding the Itaewon disaster on the day of the disaster at 10:18 pm, three minutes after the time of the disaster.
It was about turning on the available manpower by radio.
Two minutes later, he ordered vehicle control and safety accident prevention.
The fire department issued a response level 3 at 11:50 p.m., but Superintendent Lee ordered an ambulance passageway until midnight.
It is the judgment of the special inspection team that this timely response was not appropriate.
The extent of the delay in reporting, such as when Superintendent Lee first made a phone call to the Commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency 1 hour and 19 minutes after the accident, is also expected to become an issue of investigation.
Earlier, the special edition conducted a search and seizure in eight places including the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, Yongsan Police Station 112 Situation Room, Yongsan-gu Office, and Itaewon Station.
The special department plans to investigate the related persons, including the two superintendents commissioned for the investigation, while analyzing the confiscated material.