Ruling issued in underpass tragedy

[Anchor]

The Supreme Court has issued its first ruling related to the tragic underpass incident in Osong, Chungbuk, where thirty people died or were injured.

The site manager of the construction company, who unlawfully demolished the embankment during road construction, has been sentenced to six years in prison, while the head of the supervision team received a four-year sentence.

Reporter Song Geun-seop has the details.

[Report]

As heavy rain caused the river to swell, workers hurriedly piled up soil on a temporary embankment.

However, two hours later, the river overflowed and flooded into the underpass 400 meters away, resulting in 14 deaths and 16 injuries as 17 vehicles were submerged.

At the time, the construction company unlawfully demolished the existing embankment while expanding the road and only created a temporary embankment that was more than 1 meter lower than legal standards just before the rainy season.

Mr. Jeon, the site manager of the construction company, was indicted on charges of professional negligence leading to death.

In the first trial, he was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison, but the appellate court reduced the sentence to six years, stating that it was difficult to view the disaster as solely the fault of the defendant.

The Supreme Court confirmed the six-year sentence, stating, "There is no error in the lower court's judgment," and dismissed appeals from both the prosecution and Jeon.

Choi, the head of the supervision team, who was also on trial for neglecting the damage to the embankment, had his reduced sentence of four years confirmed in the appellate court.

This is the first confirmed ruling among those indicted in the Osong disaster.

[Choi Eun-kyung/Family member of Osong disaster victim: "It feels like I'm being hurt again, honestly, with such a reduction in sentence."]

The first and appellate trials are ongoing for over 40 individuals, including Lee Beom-seok, the mayor of Cheongju, and Lee Sang-rae, the former head of the Happy City Construction Agency, who have been indicted on charges of causing civilian harm under the Serious Accident Punishment Act.

This is KBS News, Song Geun-seop.