Lee Beom-seok, the mayor of Cheongju, has been indicted in connection with a flooding incident that occurred in July 2023 at the Gungpyeong 2 underpass in Osong-eup, Heungdeok-gu, Cheongju, which resulted in the deaths of 14 people. Kim Yeong-hwan, the governor of North Chungcheong Province, was not indicted.
The Cheongju District Prosecutors’ Office announced on the 9th the final investigation results of the Osong underpass disaster and stated that they have indicted Lee Beom-seok, the mayor of Cheongju, Lee Sang-rae, the former Administrator of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and Seo Jae-hwan, the former CEO of Kumho Construction, for violating the Serious Accident Punishment Act in relation to public safety.
The prosecution determined that they neglected their responsibilities in properly managing the temporary embankment of the Mihocheon River, where the disaster occurred. Mayor Lee Beom-seok is accused of failing to check the budget and manpower needed for safety management, resulting in illegal and inadequate performance by the responsible public officials. The prosecution found that Cheongju public officials were unaware that the existing embankment had been illegally breached due to their failure to inspect it.
Former Administrator Lee Sang-rae did not include the construction site in the targets for preventing major public disasters and failed to inspect and improve safety management practices. Former CEO Seo Jae-hwan did not allocate the necessary manpower and budget to prevent major disasters as the construction principal.
The prosecution noted, "They had a responsibility for failing to fulfill their obligations even though they practically dominated, operated, and managed the temporary embankment of the Mihocheon River, which became the direct cause of the disaster."
Mayor Lee Beom-seok and two others became the first cases indicted for public safety offenses after the Serious Accident Punishment Act took effect on Jan. 27, 2022. Major public disasters refer to incidents resulting in one or more deaths due to defects in the design, manufacture, installation, or management of public facilities or public transportation. Those responsible for major public disasters face a penalty of imprisonment for more than one year or a fine of up to 1 billion won.
The prosecution decided not to indict Kim Yeong-hwan, the governor of North Chungcheong Province, who was the "management principal" of the underpass. The prosecution concluded that the North Chungcheong Provincial Government performed its disaster prevention duties diligently as it conducted timely inspections of the underpass and adequately secured personnel for safety management in preparation for flooding.
Earlier, at the Gungpyeong 2 underpass in Osong-eup, due to heavy rain, the embankment of the nearby Mihocheon River collapsed around 8:40 a.m. on July 15, 2023, causing river water to flood in. As a result of this incident, 17 vehicles, including city buses passing through the underpass at that time, were flooded, leading to 14 deaths and 16 injuries.
The final number of individuals indicted by the prosecution, including construction companies, totals 45 from seven organizations (including corporations). Among these, four individuals have already received verdicts in the first and second trials. Currently, the site manager and the supervisor are facing sentences of six years and four years in prison, respectively, while the former fire chief of Cheongju and the head of the safety division at the same fire station received suspended sentences of one year and two years and two years for their first trials.