South Korea: 'Poor' preparation to blame for Halloween crush
January 13, 2023
Police in South Korea have blamed a lack of preparation and inadequate response for the deadly Halloween crush that killed 159 people in Seoul last year, according to the results of a special probe released Friday.
Despite expecting a crowd of over 100,000 in the city's popular nightlife district Itaewon, authorities assigned fewer than 130 officers to patrol the area.
What did the probe reveal?
After investigating the incident for over two months, special investigators on Friday said they are seeking manslaughter charges against 23 officials that include law enforcement officers and the head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.
The investigating team has recommended the indictment of Park Hee-young, who is mayor of Seoul's Yongsan district, and Lee Im-jae, who is the district's former police chief.
Sohn Je-han, who headed the investigation into the incident, said authorities did not prepare for safety measures and did not take appropriate action after the incident, saying the disaster was "man-made," according to South Korean news agency Yonhap.
''[Their] inaccurate judgement of the situation, the slow distribution of information about the situation, poor cooperation between related institutions and delays in rescue operations were among the overlapping failures that caused the high number of casualties,'' said Sohn, adding that the case will now be sent to the prosecutors.
On October 29, thousands of young partygoers crowded in the narrow alleys of the popular nightlife area of Itaewon to celebrate Halloween weekend. The crowd surged to a level where it turned into a stampede that claimed several lives, many of whom were young women.
Public unsatisfied with results
The results of the 74-day police investigation have not alleviated the public's anger. Bereaved families and opposition lawmakers have alleged that the probe did not hold top officials accountable.
The families and opposition leaders are demanding investigations into more high-profile figures, such as Interior and Safety Minister Lee Sang-min and National Police Agency Commissioner General Yoon Hee-keun.
"We have so many questions unanswered," said Lee Jong-chul, who represents a group of the bereaved families. "We came here to give a victim's statement, expecting a better, expanded investigation."
mf/rs (AP, Reuters)