Cause of Incheon Coupang Fire Still Unknown... Investigation to Conclude Next Month

More than two months have passed since a massive fire broke out at the Incheon Coupang logistics center and was finally extinguished after about 109 hours, but the cause of the fire remains unknown and no one has been booked in connection with the incident, officials said.

During a meeting with reporters today, Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency Chief Yu Seung-ryeol stated that while appraisal data has been received from the National Forensic Service, it only confirmed that the fire started on the 6th floor of the logistics center, adding that the exact items that caught fire and spread have not been precisely analyzed.

He also noted that there are no booked suspects related to the fire so far, and that as they are analyzing the related data, they aim to wrap up the investigation by October.

Regarding further questions about the investigation timeline, Chief Yu explained that since they have received all the data they expect to get, entering the analysis phase means concluding the investigation within a month if no additional data is required.

The fire broke out at the Coupang logistics center in Seoknam-dong, Seo-hae-gu, Incheon, at around 6:54 a.m. on July 18, and was fully extinguished after roughly 109 hours and 40 minutes. At the time, two firefighters received hospital treatment for smoke inhalation and exhaustion, respectively.

Additionally, addressing delays in the investigation into allegations that Yoo Dam, a professor in the Department of International Trade at Incheon National University and the daughter of former lawmaker Yoo Seung-min, received preferential treatment during her hiring process, Chief Yu explained that there were many factual relationships to verify.

The Anti-Corruption and Economic Crime Investigation Unit of the Incheon Metropolitan Police Agency received a related complaint 10 months ago in November of last year, investigated 23 accused individuals, and subsequently booked three additional people, including former lawmaker Yoo.

However, Professor Yoo, the central figure of the allegations, has not been booked.

Chief Yu stated that there are 29 targets for investigation, including suspects and witnesses, with a total of 39 questioning sessions conducted. He added that significant time is being taken up by four rounds of search and seizure, evidence analysis, verifying evidence relationships for each individual, and legal reviews.

He further noted that digital forensics work also requires time, adding that they will not drag out the investigation and will conclude it as quickly as possible.
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.