Yongsan police officer under special investigation found dead

A Yongsan police officer under investigation in connection to the Itaewon tragedy was found dead Friday.

The officer, identified by the surname Jeong, faced allegations that he was involved in deleting a report proposing concerns about safety measures during Halloween period.

Jeong, 55, was found dead at his home in Gangbuk-gu, Seoul at 12:45 p.m., Friday. Family members found Jeong and reported it to the police.

Jeong reportedly sent a message implying suicide to some colleagues the previous day. The police are examining the situation and the scene, assuming that Jeong had died by suicide.

Jeong was identified by the police’s special investigation team for allegations that he had deleted the documents from the other employee’s computer – who initially wrote the report – and that he had persuaded other workers to cooperate during the process.

Jeong and his superior surname Kim, were booked on several charges including destruction of evidence and professional negligence. The probe team was trying to clarify the situation by questioning intelligence department officers of the Yongsan Police Station.