Police Book Four Over Seoul Overpass Collapse; Deny Election Interference

Seoul police have booked four safety managers from the construction company responsible for the Seosomun overpass demolition site where a collapse occurred on April 26. The investigation is actively pursuing accountability for the incident.

Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Chief Park Jeong-bo announced that the police are meticulously analyzing evidence gathered through site inspections and searches. The four individuals booked are currently under investigation for charges including professional negligence resulting in death or injury, and violations of the Serious Accidents Punishment Act. Police had previously conducted searches at seven locations, including the headquarters of the main contractor and subcontractors, as well as the site office, to secure relevant evidence.

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We are precisely analyzing the data secured through site inspections and searches, and we have booked four on-site safety managers from the construction company for investigation.

The investigation is focusing on whether the construction company's safety managers failed to fulfill their duty of care, considering the foreseeability and avoidability of the accident. A key aspect of the inquiry will be to determine the extent of responsibility and negligence on the part of the client, the Seoul Metropolitan Facilities Management Corporation. However, Chief Park stated that it is too early to comment on potential investigations into Seoul city officials, pending further analysis of the evidence.

Addressing accusations of election interference, Park firmly denied claims that the police's searches, conducted on the first day of early voting, were politically motivated. He asserted that securing evidence in such cases is crucial and that the searches were conducted purely from an investigative standpoint, without any other considerations. This statement comes after Oh Se-hoon, a mayoral candidate for the People Power Party, had publicly criticized the searches as "blatant election interference using power."

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I cannot agree with that. Securing evidence in cases like this is extremely important. We conducted the searches purely from an investigative perspective, without any other considerations.