Mr. A (76), the CEO of the Hamilton Hotel, who is accused of contributing to the Itaewon disaster through illegal expansion, was handed over to trial on the 27th without detention.
On this day, the Seoul Western District Prosecutor’s Office announced that it had taken the ward trial to refer Hamilton Hotel representative A to a formal trial without detention on charges of building illegal structures around the main building of the Hamilton Hotel and occupying roads without permission (violation of building and road laws).
Two hotel tenants, including the owner of bar B on the first floor of the hotel annex, one hotel operating corporation, and one rental corporation were also sentenced to trial without detention on the same charge. In addition to the representative of Bar B, another tenant was newly booked and prosecuted at the prosecution stage.
According to the prosecution, on the west side of the main building of the Hamilton Hotel, which faces the alley where the Itaewon disaster occurred, a steel temporary wall was installed to cover the outdoor unit of the air conditioner more than 10 years ago. Bar B in the annex has been in operation for about 10 years with an unauthorized extension of the terrace.
Prosecutors held that Mr. A and the hotel operating corporation were not intentional on the allegation that they aided the illegal construction of tenants such as the representative of B bar. As a result, it was decided to not be charged with charges such as aiding and abetting the building law violation applied to Mr. A. Regarding the tavern terrace, it was decided to hold legal responsibility only on the representative of tavern B.
Including them, a total of 17 defendants (including corporations) who were handed over to trial in the Itaewon disaster increased. Until the 18th, the prosecution indicted eight police officers, including former Yongsan Police Station chief Lee Im-jae (superintendent). On the 20th, four more officials from the district office, including Yongsan-gu Mayor Park Hee-young and former Yongsan-gu Safety and Disaster Manager Choi Won-joon, were put on trial.
Reporter Kim Se-rin, Hankyung.com celine@hankyung.com
