◀ Anchor ▶
Lee Im-jae, the former chief of the Yongsan Police Station, told the National Assembly yesterday that he had requested help from the riot police before the October 29 disaster, but the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency refused.
By the way, this comment is completely contrary to what the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency said earlier that the Yongsan Police Station did not ask for riot police.
As it becomes a battle of truth within the police, this part is expected to be the main target of an investigation by the Special Investigation Headquarters.
This is Reporter Yoon Soo-han.
◀ Report ▶
On the day of the October 29 disaster, one of the key causes of the disaster is that the police riot police were not sent in advance to control the crowds in Itaewon.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, which has the authority to operate the riot police, has revealed that it only requested the Yongsan Police Station to control traffic.
[김광호/서울경찰청장 – 전봉민/국민의힘 의원 (지난 7일) ]
“I asked for traffic police support… I applied for one layer.”
It is said that there was no request for a security riot squad that could do security work such as crowd control.
[김광호/서울경찰청장 – 전봉민/국민의힘 의원 (지난 7일)]
“There was no request at the Yongsan Police Station level… I’ve never done it like that.”
However, the testimony of Lee Im-jae, the former chief of Yongsan Police Station, who spoke for the first time after the disaster, was different.
[이임재/전 용산경찰서장 – 이해식/민주당 의원 (어제)]
“At that time, we had asked not only for the traffic police team, but also the security police team. We received an answer that it was difficult to apply because there were many rallies and protests.”
The Seoul Metropolitan Government requested a security guard several times, but each time it was refused due to the management of the rally, so it was not possible to suggest more.
[이임재/전 용산경찰서장 – 최기상/민주당 의원 (어제)]
“I made a judgment that it is quite difficult realistically for me to make any further suggestions about the results of the Seoul Commissioner’s review twice…”
The situation where the comments of the Yongsan Police Station chief and the head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency were mixed about whether to request a riot squad.
Regarding this, the Seoul Metropolitan Government kept to the current situation, “At the time, Yongsan only asked for traffic riot police, and accordingly sent traffic riot police.”
Earlier, the head of the Seoul Metropolitan Government emphasized, “It was not possible that we would not be able to deploy on Halloween Day due to the lack of police due to the preparations for the rally.”
However, when I came to the National Assembly, I said differently.
[김광호/서울경찰청장(지난 7일)]
“At that time, I called the head of security and asked if there were any spare soldiers in the riot police.
On the day of the disaster, most of the police riot police were sent to 18 rallies in downtown Seoul, and 9 units were deployed to rallies near the presidential office.
This is Yoon Soo-han from MBC News.
Video editing: Jang Ye-eun
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