South Korea on Saturday (Jan 20) charged Seoul’s chief of police with contributing through negligence to the deadly Halloween crowd crush in Seoul in 2022 that claimed the lives of over 160 people, according to the prosecutors.
Seoul Western District Prosecutors Office released a statement saying that Kim Kwang-ho, chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, was charged with professional negligence resulting in injury or death.
As the head 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 incident, said the statement.
Kim is the highest-ranking police official to go on trial over the tragic incident and was charged without detention.
Last year in the month of January, a special police investigation team had forwarded rescue and district offices to the prosecution over their alleged involvement in the government’s mishandling of the incident.
The heads of the police station in Seoul’s Yongsan district, which includes Itaewon, and the Yongsan Ward office were charged by the prosecutors but for over a year, they had not come to a decision over charging Kim.
Friday’s statement said 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”.
The victims’ families expressed their dismay at the prosecution’s prolonged decision-making process prior to filing charges against Kim.
“Chief Kim must immediately step down from his position and face trial,” the families said in a statement.
“President Yoon Suk Yeol must dismiss Kim immediately.”
WATCH | Explained | How is a crowd crush different from a stampede?
South Korea Halloween crush
Celebrations turned into chaos on Oct 29, 2022, as at least 151 people were killed and more than 100 were injured in South Korea when a gathering of primarily young people celebrating Halloween festivities in Seoul became trapped and crushed.
The Seoul police chief, Seoul mayor and the country’s interior minister issued public apologies after the incident, admitting to the collective failure. The South Korean media reported that the Police did not respond to 7 of the 11 calls made by members of the public to report the overcrowding of the entertainment district, a revelation that stoked anger against the authorities all across South Korea.
(With inputs from agencies)
