Seoul’s police chief was charged with professional negligence over the 2022 Halloween tragedy, in which nearly 160 people were crushed to death, the South Korean capital’s prosecutor’s office said.
On October 29, 2022, tens of thousands of people, mostly young people, came out to celebrate Halloween for the first time since the pandemic in the lively Itaewon district.
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But the party turned into a tragedy when a crowd gathered in a narrow alley where more than 150 people ended up dying due to the accumulation of people.
More than a year later, Kim Kwang-ho, chief of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, was charged with professional negligence resulting in death and injury, the Seoul Western District Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement Friday.
As responsible for the body, “failed to take necessary measures, such as deploying sufficient police forces and ensuring adequate command and supervision” on the day of the tragedy, even though he could “anticipate potential dangers” of an excess of people in the area, justified the public ministry.
Kim is the highest ranking police officer who will have to face justice for the tragedy. Despite the accusation, he was not arrested.
In January 2023, Kim and 22 other officials from the police, rescue teams and administration were referred to the prosecution after an investigation for their alleged responsibility in the mishandling of the tragedy.
Until now, the prosecution had only indicted the head of the police station and the head of the Yongsan district office, where the Itaewon neighborhood is located.
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In its statement on Friday, the prosecution points out that Kim, along with these two district officials, “collectively caused the deaths of 158 individuals and injuries to 312 individuals as a result of professional negligence.”.
Families of the victims regretted the slowness of the prosecution before charging Kim and asked that he leave office.
“Kim must immediately resign her position and face trial.”, they said in a statement. Otherwise, “President Yoon Suk Yeol must fire Kim immediately”they added.
