Former Seoul Police Chief Acquitted of Negligence in Fatal Halloween Crush

seoul - Former police chief of Seoul cleared of negligence in the deadly crush on Halloween in 2022 where over 150 people died due to overcrowding in a narrow street.

The former police chief of Seoul, Kim Kwang-ho, has been acquitted of negligence in the tragic events that led to over 150 deaths on Halloween in 2022. The court ruled on Thursday that Kim cannot be held responsible due to lack of evidence. Two other police officials were also cleared of negligence. Upon hearing the verdict, relatives expressed their dissatisfaction in the courtroom. 'How can this not be a man-made disaster?' shouted one of them, as reported by Yonhap news agency.

Tens of thousands of partygoers, mostly in their twenties and thirties, had gathered in the Itaewon entertainment district to celebrate the first Halloween since the end of COVID-19 restrictions. It became apparent quickly that there was insufficient crowd control to safely manage the throng. The court stated that the number of casualties would have been lower if 'even a small police force had been deployed to maintain order in Itaewon.'

Prosecutors had sought a five-year prison sentence for Kim. The former police chief denies any wrongdoing. 'Instead of looking for a scapegoat, real preventive measures should be taken,' he stated in court last April. The same court sentenced the former police chief of the Yongsan district, where the stampede occurred, to three years in prison last month for failing to prevent the disaster. The officer in charge of the emergency call center was sentenced to two years in prison.