A South Korean court has found the former police chief of Seoul and two other officers not guilty in connection with a tragic Halloween crowd crush that resulted in the deaths of nearly 160 people in 2022.
The verdict, issued by the Seoul Western District Court, has sparked outrage among grieving relatives and advocates who believe that high-level officials should be held accountable for the incident, which was largely attributed to a lack of disaster planning and an inadequate emergency response.
The former police chief, along with more than 20 police and government officials, was indicted over the crush that occurred in Itaewon, a popular nightlife district in Seoul. Prosecutors had sought a five-year prison term for the former police chief.
An investigation conducted by the National Police Agency revealed that police and local officials failed to implement effective crowd control measures despite anticipating a gathering of over 100,000 people for Halloween events in the Itaewon neighborhood.
The report highlighted that only 137 officers were assigned to Itaewon on the day of the crush, and police disregarded hotline calls from pedestrians warning of overcrowding before the situation turned fatal. Additionally, authorities failed to establish control over the site and allow paramedics timely access to the injured once the crush began.
Experts have labeled the incident a 'manmade disaster' that could have been prevented through simple measures such as deploying more police and public workers to monitor bottleneck points, enforcing one-way walking lanes, and blocking narrow pathways.
The Seoul court acquitted the former police chief of professional negligence, citing a lack of evidence linking his actions to the high death toll and injuries. Two lower-ranking police officers who faced similar charges were also acquitted.
The ruling has been met with criticism from the Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families group, which described it as 'dishonest' and 'impossible to understand.' The group has called for prosecutors to appeal the decision.
Earlier this month, the same court sentenced the former chief of Seoul's Yongsan district police station to three years in prison and convicted two colleagues of professional negligence resulting in death for their failure to adequately prepare for and respond to the crush. One officer was imprisoned, while another received a suspended sentence.
However, the court acquitted the head of the Yongsan ward office and three other ward officials, stating that they lacked the legal authority to control or disperse crowds.
