Prosecutors in Seoul, the capital of South Korea, have accused Seoul’s head of police of professional negligence in connection with the horrific Halloween crush in 2022 that claimed the lives of around 160 people.
Tens of thousands of individuals, the majority of whom were in their 20s and 30s, had gathered in Seoul’s Itaewon nightlife district on October 29, 2022, to celebrate the post-pandemic festival.
However, the evening quickly turned tragic as a result of people jamming into a small, sloping passageway between pubs and clubs. More than 150 people were crushed to death by the weight of their bodies and a lack of adequate crowd control measures.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency’s chief, Kim Kwang-ho, was accused of professional carelessness that caused harm or death, according to a statement issued on Friday by the Western District Prosecutors’ Office in Seoul.
As the chief of the SMPA, he “did not take necessary measures, such as deploying sufficient police forces and ensuring proper command and supervision” on the day of the crush, the statement said, although he was able to “foresee potential dangers arising” from overcrowding in the nightlife area.
Kim, the highest-ranking police official to face trial over the tragedy, was charged without detention.
In January last year, Kim and 22 other officials from the police, rescue and district offices were forwarded to the prosecution by a special police investigation team for their alleged involvement in the government’s mishandling of the crush.
The prosecution has since charged the heads of the police station in Seoul’s Yongsan district, which includes Itaewon, and the Yongsan Ward office, but had been undecided about charging Kim for over a year.
The statement on Friday stated that Kim, “along with the chief of the Yongsan Police Station and the head of the Yongsan Ward office who are currently on trial, collectively caused the deaths of 158 individuals and injuries to 312 individuals as a result of professional negligence” .
Pride in South Korea stems from its quick transition from a war-torn nation to the fourth-biggest economy in Asia and a major cultural force worldwide.
However, a string of avoidable mishaps, including the crush of last year and the 304-person Sewol ferry sinking in 2014, have eroded public trust in the government.
