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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Staff and agencies

Seoul crowd crush police sent to jail for deadly failings in Itaewon disaster

Bereaved people react outside the Seoul western district court where three police officers were given jail sentences but Yongsan city ward officials were acquitted over the Itaewon crowd crush.
Bereaved people react outside the Seoul western district court where three police officers were given jail sentences but Yongsan city ward officials were acquitted over the Itaewon crowd crush. Photograph: Jung Yeon-Je/AFP/Getty Images

A South Korean court has given three police officers prison sentences over their handling of a 2022 Halloween crush in a Seoul nightlife district that killed 159 people.

The convictions on Monday are the first over the failure by authorities to prevent or adequately respond to the overcrowding that occurred in the popular Itaewon district. No top-level officials have been charged or held accountable, prompting criticism from bereaved families and opposition politicians.

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