As a man and a woman in their 30s fell into critical condition from carbon monoxide poisoning at a motel in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi Province, controversy has arisen over the appropriateness of the initial response after it became known that police who arrived on the first call determined they were asleep and left.
According to the Uijeongbu Police Station and fire authorities on the 3rd, at about 7:50 p.m. on the 30th, a motel employee called 112, saying, "Checkout time has passed, but they are not answering the intercom and there is no sign of anyone even when I knock."
Police who were dispatched on the report opened the room door and checked on the man and woman in their 30s. The two were reportedly in a semi-conscious state at the time, but police are said to have determined they were in a deep sleep after noting they were snoring.
Police left the scene, determining there was no particular criminal suspicion. The motel is said to have settled the matter by charging an additional fee for staying past checkout time.
However, about 11 hours later, at around 7 a.m. the next day, a second report was filed that the guests still had not come out of the room.
When officers returned, they found the man and woman inside the room collapsed and unconscious with foam at their mouths. The two were rushed to a hospital and diagnosed with carbon monoxide poisoning.
A site inspection by the Korea Gas Safety Corporation (KGS) reportedly detected carbon monoxide at dangerous levels in the room and the basement boiler room.
The man is reportedly in critical condition and has not regained consciousness. The woman is also still undergoing treatment.
Police plan to investigate the motel to determine the cause of the gas leak and whether there was negligence in safety management.
They are also looking into whether the police response at the time of the first report was appropriate. Police have notified the inspection and criminal divisions of the dispatch circumstances and measures taken at the time, and the exact circumstances is under investigation.