A special police unit investigating the fatal Itaewon crowd crush summoned Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency chief Kim Kwang-ho for questioning as a suspect on Friday.

The move came a day after the unit opened an investigation into Kim on charges of professional negligence resulting in death, making him the highest-ranking police officer to face charges in the case.

Kim is accused of failing to take preventive measures despite anticipation of large crowds in Itaewon on Halloween weekend. 

Investigators plan to grill Kim on when he was first notified of the crowd surge and the steps he took afterward, focusing specifically on why Kim decided not to send riot squads to manage crowds in parts of Itaewon.

The questioning correlates to claims by Lee Im-jae, the Yongsan Police chief at the time of the crush, that he made several requests to the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency to send riot squads prior to the tragedy.

Based on related materials and testimonies, the special unit has tentatively concluded that no such requests were made. However, the unit is said to believe that the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency should have taken precautionary measures regardless of whether the Yongsan Police Station requested support.