Police chief-designate resigns over fire tragedy

SEOUL, Feb. 10 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's national police chief-designate resigned and withdrew from nomination Tuesday amid mounting pressure for him to step down over a police raid on protesters last month that left six people dead.

"Holding myself morally responsible for the Yongsan accident, I withdraw from the
nomination for the head of the National Police Agency and also step down as the
Seoul police chief," Kim Seok-ki, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency,
said at a press briefing.
On Jan. 20, a police SWAT team raided a dilapidated four-story building in
central Seoul to evict dozens of squatters opposing redevelopment of the area.
Six people, including a police officer, were killed in the blaze that occurred
during the pre-dawn raid.
Many have blamed Kim, nominated just two days before the incident by President
Lee Myung-bak as the new national police chief, for permitting the raid despite
knowing the protesters were armed with fire bombs and other flammables.
Kim said his resignation was voluntary, explaining an escalation of (political)
dispute over his nomination is not desirable in consideration of the
unprecedented economic crisis and large amount of pending national issues.
Kim's resignation came one day after prosecutors indicted 27 protesters and
private security guards but cleared the police from any criminal wrongdoing.
"The truth behind the Yongsan accident has clearly been shown," Kim said,
reiterating prosecutors' probe results. He also expressed regrets at the police's
legitimate operations being criticized as "excessive or radical."
Joo Sang-ryong, commissioner of the Daegu Metropolitan Police Agency, will
succeed Kim as Seoul police chief.