South Korea to charge Kim Kwang-ho, ex-Seoul police chief, over Itaewon disaster oath
A South Korea’s Special Investigation Committee for Truth-Finding and Prevention of Recurrence of the Itaewon Disaster has decided to file formal charges against former Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency chief Kim Kwang-ho after he refused to take an oath at a public hearing on the Itaewon disaster. The action followed the events of the morning session at the Banking Hall in central Seoul’s Jung-gu district.
Kim Kwang-ho appeared as a witness but did not rise to take the oath, choosing instead not to swear statements during the hearing. He had earlier notified the special committee in writing that he would exercise his right to refrain from testifying, citing an ongoing trial related to the same matter.
The decision to press charges was announced after the committee’s 52nd meeting, held before the resumed hearing. The panel is conducting investigations into the Itaewon disaster, seeking to uncover facts and recommend measures to prevent a recurrence.
The Itaewon disaster occurred on October 29, 2022, in Seoul’s Itaewon district and resulted in significant casualties, prompting widespread scrutiny of crowd-management practices and emergency response by authorities, including the police. The special committee’s work is part of a broader legal framework aimed at accountability and reform.
Under the Itaewon disaster truth-seeking law, a person who does not take an oath without a valid reason at a hearing can face up to three years in prison or a fine of up to 30 million won. The penalty underscores the seriousness attached to formal testimony in this process for high-ranking officials.
For U.S. readers, the case illustrates how South Korea uses formal testimony and potential criminal penalties to compel accountability from senior public officials after a major public-safety failure. It highlights differences in crisis governance, transparency mechanisms, and police oversight that can inform comparisons with policing accountability and disaster-response reforms in other democracies.