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☆ South Korea Halloween crush: 3 former police officers sentenced for destroying evidence
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Yoonjung Seo | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Seoul, South Korea CNN —Three former police officers were sentenced in a Seoul court on Wednesday for destroying evidence related to the deadly Halloween crowd crush in the city’s Itaewon neighborhood in 2022. They are the first officers to be convicted of crimes related to the crowd crush, in which nearly 160 people were killed. The court document said Park ordered his officers to delete police reports warning of crowd-related incidents and raising public safety concerns ahead of the Halloween celebrations in 2022 shortly after the Itaewon crowd crush occurred. One of the deleted police reports stated a need for measures to prevent male police officers from hitting on women during Halloween. Most of those killed in the October 29 crush were young adults and teenagers, who were among tens of thousands of partygoers who poured into Seoul’s Itaewon district to celebrate Halloween.

Persons: Sung, Kim Jin, Young, seok, Kim Kwang Organizations: South Korea CNN —, Seoul Metropolitan Government, Seoul’s, Seoul police Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Seoul’s

☆ For Families of Itaewon Crowd Crush Victims, Verdicts Are a Bittersweet Win
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Jin Yu Young | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Bereaved relatives of the victims of a deadly 2022 crowd crush in South Korea expressed mixed emotions this week after three former police officers were convicted of destroying evidence connected to the episode, in which nearly 160 people died in Seoul. Dissatisfaction over the slow pace of the inquiry and the perceived leniency of the sentences was mingled with relief that someone, at last, had been held to account. Though others have been indicted, these officers are the first people to be convicted of any crime related to the episode. The verdicts were an unexpected win for the victims’ family members, who had waited more than 15 months and were starting to lose faith that anyone would ever be held responsible. “It was a long wait, but it’s a meaningful outcome in that the court has clearly outlined where the police went wrong,” said Lee Jeong-min, the head of an association for the bereaved families.

Persons: ”, Lee Jeong Locations: South Korea, Seoul

Seoul, South Korea CNN —Seoul’s police chief has been indicted for negligence over the 2022 crowd crush that killed more than 150 people during Halloween festivities in the popular Itaewon neighborhood that left the nation reeling. South Korean police on Monday confirmed that Kim Kwang-ho, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency (SMPA), had been indicted in connection with the tragedy – the most senior police officer charged over the incident. Four police dispatches were sent out to Itaewon, which had hosted Halloween celebrations in Seoul for years. Rescue officials and police gather in the district of Itaewon in Seoul on October 30, 2022. “For me, Halloween and the Itaewon tragedy are (inextricably) linked,” she said.

Persons: South Korea CNN —, Kim Kwang, Kim, ”, Anthony Wallace, Yoon Suk Yeol, Lee, “ Organizations: South Korea CNN, South Korean, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, ” Reuters, South Koreans, Rescue, Getty, South, Seoul police, CNN Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Itaewon, AFP, South

☆ Seoul Police Chief Indicted Over Halloween Crush
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-20 | by ( Jan. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +1 min

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean prosecutors have indicted the head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, charging him with contributing through negligence to the Halloween crowd crush in Seoul in 2022 that killed nearly 160 people, according to the Seoul Western District Prosecutors Office. The indictment of Seoul police chief Kim Kwang-ho came more than a year after the crowd crush in October 2022, which killed 159 people on a Halloween weekend in the entertainment district of Itaewon in capital Seoul. Kim is the highest-ranking police official charged in connection with the crowd crush. In January last year, a special investigation team referred Kim and 22 other police, rescue and district office officials to the prosecution on charges related to the government's inadequate response to the stampede. (Reporting by Heekyong Yang; editing by Giles Elgood)

Persons: , Kim Kwang, Kim, Heekyong Yang, Giles Elgood Organizations: Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, Seoul Western, Prosecutors Office Locations: SEOUL, Seoul, Itaewon

☆ An American tourist in Seoul said he sprayed graffiti in 155 places to raise awareness about teeth grinding
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-27 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A US tourist in South Korea was accused of vandalizing 155 places in Seoul. The unnamed American told police he was trying to raise awareness of the condition, bruxism. AdvertisementAn American tourist has been accused of spraying graffiti at 155 locations in Seoul's central Yongsan district, police said on Monday. The Yongsan police department said it arrested an unnamed American man in his 30s who arrived in October as a tourist, South Korean news agency Yonhap reported. The unnamed American told police that he suffers from severe bruxism, and wanted to let others know it can be a serious condition, the Seoul Shinmun Daily reported.

Persons: He's, —, Yonhap Organizations: Service, Chosun Ilbo, Police, Seoul Shinmun Locations: South Korea, Seoul, Yongsan district, Yongsan, Korean, Yonhap

Seoul marked a somber anniversary over the weekend, a year after nearly 160 people died in a crowd surge in Itaewon, a popular nightlife district in the city. Oct. 29, 2022, had started as a long-awaited Halloween celebration — the first in several years in South Korea that was free of pandemic restrictions. A mass of revelers and a bottleneck of human traffic in a cramped alley that night led to catastrophe, and a national outpouring of grief and questions about why the authorities were unable to prevent it. This year, the gathering in Itaewon was much smaller. Several neighborhoods in Seoul saw an outsized police presence.

Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Itaewon

[1/3] People walk through a CCTV (closed-circuit television system) monitored alley in Itaewon, where the Halloween crowd crush occurred last year, in Seoul, South Korea, October 23, 2023. REUTERS/Kim Soo-hyeon/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsSEOUL, Oct 28 (Reuters) - A year after 159 Halloween revellers were killed in a crowd crush in South Korea, the capital's night-life district of Itaewon was quiet on Saturday, the area's usual festivities replaced by mourning for those died. Lee Sung-min, who has lived and worked in the Seoul district for years, said he did not even realise it was the Halloween weekend until early Saturday. Many people were still looking for other places to join Halloween festivities, such as Hongdae, another popular spot among the young. "I thought Hongdae would be better than Itaewon to celebrate Halloween with my boyfriend," said Cheon Ye-ji, a 19-year-old student.

Persons: Kim Soo, Lee Sung, Lee, I've, Lee Jung, Cheon, Daewoung Kim, Jimin Jung, Soo, Choi, Helen Popper Our Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Thomson Locations: Itaewon, Seoul, South Korea, Rights SEOUL

Over Halloween weekend last year, nearly 160 young people died in a crowd crush in Itaewon, a popular nightlife district in Seoul. For those who survived or lost loved ones, the past year has been a time of deep frustration and trauma. Many wrote online that the young victims and survivors should blame themselves. In December, Lee Jae-hyeon, 16, a survivor who had lost two of his best friends in the crowd crush, took his own life after battling online detractors of the victims. As the first anniversary of the disaster approached, survivors and victims’ family members struggled with unanswered questions, missing their loved ones and at the same time deeply troubled by the government’s response.

Persons: Lee Jae, “, ” Locations: Itaewon, Seoul

☆ South Korea: Itaewon crush haunts survivors one year after Halloween crowd disaster
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-27 | by ( Heather Chen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

CNN —Hye Minyi can still vividly recall what happened in Itaewon, South Korea, on the night of October 29, 2022. Whether the disaster in Itaewon last year will put a dent in this growing popularity is yet to be seen. “We are extremely concerned that there could be a repeat of the Itaewon tragedy,” said Shibuya mayor Ken Hasebe. The Itaewon crowd crush was South Korea’s worst peacetime disaster since the sinking of a ferry in 2014 killed 304 people – among them 250 students and teachers from the Danwon State High School. Lee is certain of one thing, however – that she is “never going back to the area again.”“For me, Halloween and the Itaewon tragedy are (inextricably) linked,” she said.

Persons: CNN — Hye, Amy, Hye, ” Hye, ”, “, Anthony Wallace, expats, Ken Hasebe, Hasebe, ” Hasebe, overtourism, Yuya Shino, Critics, Jung Yeon, Yoon Suk, Kim Kun, Chung Sung, Lee, Kim Ho, Lee Sang Organizations: CNN, Getty, “, Reuters, Danwon State High School, South Korean, Seoul Metropolitan Government, South, City, Facebook, Interior, Safety Locations: Itaewon, South Korea, Seoul, AFP, Asia, Tokyo, Taipei, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Singapore, Japan, Shibuya, “, Tokyo's Shibuya, Guangzhou, China, South, Danwon, Yongsan

[1/6] Park Young-soo, whose son died in the Halloween crowd crush a year ago, visits the memorial park where her son's ashes were buried in Pocheon, South Korea, October 24, 2023. She says she may not be able to move on with her life until she sees some kind of accountability from the government. Park is one of more than 100 family members who say the authorities have done little to hold those responsible to account. Relatives of the victims want a special law that would allow an independent and comprehensive investigation into the cause of the crush. "Nothing is reported to us nor communicated to us," said Nari Kim from Austria, who lost her younger brother in the crush.

Persons: Kim Soo, soo, Lee Nam, Lee, Yoon Suk, Lee Sang, Kim Young, Kim, Nari Kim, Jong, Woo Paik, Hyunsu Yim, Daewoung Kim, Heejung Jung, Jimin Jung, Josh Smith, Robert Birsel Organizations: REUTERS, Rights, Interior, National Assembly, Power Party, Korean Society, Thomson Locations: Pocheon, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, Itaewon, Hamilton, Seoul, North Korea, Seoul's, U.S, Japan, Iran, Austria, Korea

This year, officials in the South Korean capital said they would work with police, emergency services and local officials to ensure "not a single person gets hurt" during Halloween celebrations. The plan unveiled this week covers just Seoul, rather than the entire nation, he added. The Seoul anniversary has unnerved authorities elsewhere in the run-up to this year’s celebrations. "Officials have grown fearful of a disastrous crowd crush similar to the one in the Itaewon district in Seoul, South Korea," Shibuya city officials said in a statement. The safety campaign has involved a ban on street drinking over the Halloween weekend, while videos posted on social media urge: "On Halloween night, everyone should stay away from Shibuya."

Persons: Ahn, Paek Seung, Dogyun Kim, Jihyun Jeon, Jack Kim, John Geddie, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: Seoul City Hall, Cyber University of Korea, Thomson Locations: Gangnam district, Seoul City, Seoul, South Korea, SEOUL, Tokyo, Itaewon, Shibuya

☆ Little Punishment or Change After South Korea’s Halloween Calamity
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-21 | by ( Choe Sang-Hun | More About Choe Sang-Hun | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The families’ worst fears were confirmed when the police agency cleared its own top bosses and those at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety of any wrongdoing, while prosecutors indicted 12 local police and other officials on charges such as negligence of official duty. No verdicts have come as the trials have dragged on. Investigators asked prosecutors to indict the Seoul police chief on similar charges, but the prosecutors have yet to act. On the night of Oct. 29, person after panicked person called police and fire department hotlines for hours, reporting a dangerous crowd surge developing in the cramped alleyway in Itaewon. Eventually, hundreds of people began to fall on top of each other as waves of revelers pushed up and down the sloping strip of pavement, jostling to go in opposite directions.

Persons: revelers Organizations: Ministry of, Seoul police Locations: Seoul, Itaewon

☆ Tokyo’s Shibuya City attempts to ban Halloween
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-06 | by ( Lilit Marcus | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Tokyo’s Shibuya Crossing is the busiest intersection in the world, with five crosswalks interlacing through 10 lanes of car and bus traffic. The leadership of Shibuya City – which is a self-governed district within Tokyo – has issued a formal request to both domestic and foreign tourists to mind their manners and not observe Halloween in the area from October 27-31. Crowds of people celebrating Halloween in Shibuya in 2014. The Shibuya City notice specifically addresses concerns that, if people don’t take action, Tokyo could experience a dangerous crowd crush like the one that took place in Seoul last year. “The streets of Shibuya are not party venues,” the city’s mayor, Ken Hasebe, said in a statement.

Persons: overtourism, Yuya Shino, it’s, Ken Hasebe Organizations: CNN, Tokyo – Locations: Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan, Seoul

☆ South Korea opposition leader starts hunger strike over government policy
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( Hyunsu Yim | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Lee Jae-myung, leader of South Korea's Democratic Party, speaks at campaign rally while campaigning for the presidential election in Seoul, South Korea March 8, 2022. Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, listed an assortment of reasons for his protest at a news conference, without saying how long his hunger strike would last. South Korea has said it neither supports nor agrees with Japan's action, unlike China, which opposed the plan. Yoon's approval ratings slipped slightly to 34% according to a Gallup poll released on Friday, with foreign policy and the Fukushima water issue cited as factors behind his high disapproval ratings. Opposition leader Lee has had his own problems since becoming the head of his party a year ago, just months after he lost the presidential election.

Persons: Lee Jae, myung, Kim Hong, Lee, Yoon Suk Yeol, Hyunsu Yim, Simon Cameron, Moore Organizations: South Korea's Democratic Party, REUTERS, Rights, Democratic Party of Korea, Gallup, Thomson Locations: Seoul, South Korea, Rights SEOUL, Japan, China, North Korea

CNN —Blackpink singer Jisoo is dating actor Ahn Bo-hyun, the stars’ talent agencies said, in a rare departure from the secrecy that typically surrounds celebrity relationships in South Korea. Ahn’s agency FN Entertainment confirmed the relationship to CNN on Thursday after local media reports that the pair had been spotted together in Seoul whipped up excitement among fans. South Korean news agency Yonhap carried a similar statement citing Blackpink’s record label, YG Entertainment. Blackpink – which consists of Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé – debuted in 2016 and enjoyed a quick ascent to global stardom. In 2019, they became the first Asian act to headline California-based festival Coachella and last year were named Time magazine’s Entertainer of the Year – becoming only the second K-pop group to receive the title.

Persons: CNN —, Jisoo, Ahn Bo, “, Yonhap, Ahn, Blackpink, Jennie, Lisa, Rosé – Organizations: CNN, FN Entertainment, YG Entertainment, Sun Locations: South Korea, Seoul, Korean, California

☆ Anger in South Korea as court rejects removing minister over Halloween crush
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-25 | by ( Ju-Min Park | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Judges of South Korea's Constitutional Court sit for the ruling on the National Assembly's impeachment of Interior Minister Lee Sang-min, at the constitutional court in Seoul, South Korea, July 25, 2023. Yonhap via REUTERSSEOUL, July 25 (Reuters) - South Korea's top court on Tuesday ruled against a parliamentary vote to impeach the interior minister over a botched government response to a deadly Halloween crush in Seoul last year, sparking anger and dismay among relatives of the victims. Dozens of relatives and supporters gathered in front of the court chanting "condemn the constitutional court that gave immunity to Lee Sang-min!" Choi Sun-mi, the mother of Park Ga-young, one of the victims, described the court ruling as "truly devastating." The Itaewon district in South Korea’s capital is known to revellers as a place of fun, freedom and openness.

Persons: Lee Sang, Lee Jong, Lee, Yonhap, Choi, Yoon Suk Yeol, partygoers, Hyunsu Yim, Ed Davies, Lincoln Organizations: South, South Korea's Constitutional, Yonhap, REUTERS, National Assembly, Thomson Locations: South Korea's, Seoul, South Korea, REUTERS SEOUL, Itaewon, South Korea’s

☆ Planning a solo trip to Seoul? Here are some places that cater to singles in Seoul
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Monica Pitrelli | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Source: Morgan AwyongOrders are placed and paid for with tablets. In her videos, she recommends solo travelers try restaurants such as Labap for fine dining, or Gimbap Cheongu and Pomato for their wide variety of Korean food. Earlier this year, South Korea announced a new visa for digital nomads is in the pipeline. Some residential buildings allow short-term lodging, which solo travelers can book. Source: Morgan Awyong

☆ South Korea's parliament votes to impeach minister over Halloween crush
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-08 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SEOUL, Feb 8 (Reuters) - South Korean lawmakers voted on Wednesday to impeach the interior minister over his responses to a deadly Halloween crush, setting the stage for him to become the first cabinet member ousted by the legislature. The Democrats and other opposition parties had pushed for expulsion of the interior minister, Lee Sang-min, urging him to take responsibility for botched responses to the crush. A presidential official said there was no evidence that the minister had severely violated the constitution or any law. In 2017, President Park Geun-hye became South Korea's first elected leader to be expelled from office when the Constitutional Court upheld her impeachment. The court dismissed an impeachment motion in 2004 for President Roh Moo-hyun.

☆ Netflix announces 'biggest-ever lineup' of Korean films and series
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-17 | by ( Brahmjot Kaur | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Netflix announced 34 new Korean titles to hit the streaming platform in 2023, including a diverse array of series and movies. The upcoming titles, which Netflix calls their “biggest-ever lineup of Korean films and series,” includes 21 scripted shows, five reality shows, six movies and two documentaries. Korean content on the platform has continued to grow, with over 60 percent of all Netflix users watching Korean titles last year, according to a release from the company on Monday. The global popularity of Korean media and culture, known as the “Korean Wave,” is still proving successful in the U.S., with shows like “Squid Game” being Netflix’s most successful series launch of all time. For its part, Netflix has been steadily investing in Korean content — reportedly over $500 million in 2021 and even more in 2022.

☆ Seoul Crowd-Crush Probe Faults Officials, Recommends Prosecution in Itaewon Deaths
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Jiyoung Sohn | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

SEOUL—South Korean investigators blamed poor safety planning and bungled responses by police and public authorities for a fatal crowd crush that killed more than 150 people during Halloween festivities in Seoul last year. In its final report Friday, a special police team tasked with investigating the accident found fault with officials from local police, the district government and emergency responders, and referred nearly two dozen people for prosecution for professional negligence.

☆ South Korean police seek manslaughter charges over deadly Halloween crush
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

SEOUL, South Korea — Police in South Korea are seeking charges of involuntary manslaughter and negligence against 23 officials, including law enforcement officers, for a lack of safety measures they said were responsible for a crowd surge last year that killed nearly 160 people. Despite anticipating a Halloween weekend crowd of more than 100,000, Seoul police had assigned 137 officers to the capital’s nightlife district Itaewon on the day of the crush. Those officers were focused on monitoring narcotics use and violent crimes, which experts say left few resources for pedestrian safety. Son Je-han, who headed the National Police Agency’s special investigation into the incident, said Friday his team will now send the case to prosecutors. However, Son said the special investigation team will close its investigations of the Interior and Safety Ministry, the National Police Agency, and the Seoul Metropolitan Government, saying it was difficult to establish their direct responsibility.

☆ South Korean police blame fatal Halloween crush on lack of preparation, poor response
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] A view of tributes at a memorial at the scene of a crowd crush that happened during Halloween festivities, in Seoul, South Korea, November 29, 2022. REUTERS/Heo RanSEOUL, Jan 13 (Reuters) - South Korea's police on Friday said a lack of preparations and an inadequate response were the main causes of the deadly Halloween crush in Seoul last year, wrapping up a monthslong investigation into the tragedy that killed 159 people. "Misjudgement of the situation, delay in sharing information and lack of cooperation among related agencies accumulated to cause large casualties," Sohn told reporters. The investigation team has referred 23 people, including the head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, to prosecutors. The bereaved families and opposition lawmakers have criticised the police investigation for failing to hold top officials accountable.

☆ The Year in Pictures 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-19 | by ( The New York Times | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +57 min

Every year, starting in early fall, photo editors at The New York Times begin sifting through the year’s work in an effort to pick out the most startling, most moving, most memorable pictures. But 2022 undoubtedly belongs to the war in Ukraine, a conflict now settling into a worryingly predictable rhythm. Erin Schaff/The New York Times “When you’re standing on the ground, you can’t visualize the scope of the destruction. Jim Huylebroek for The New York Times Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb. 25. We see the same images over and over, and it’s really hard to make anything different.” Kyiv, Ukraine, Feb 26.

[1/2] A woman holds a placard during a candlelight vigil to commemorate the victims of the crowd crush that happened during Halloween festivities, at Seoul City Hall Plaza, in Seoul, South Korea, November 5, 2022. The placard reads: "We are commemorating the victims of the Itaewon crowd crush". REUTERS/Kim Hong-Ji/FilesSEOUL, Dec 19 (Reuters) - Usually glitzy and buzzing in the holiday season, South Korea's popular Itaewon night-life district looks like a ghost town this year, as people still mourning 158 killed in a Halloween crowd crush go elsewhere for festivities. "It's not Christmas yet, but I guess Christmas won't be so different." "That might mean that we won't be able to fully enjoy the Christmas atmosphere this year."

Seoul, South Korea CNN —Two former police officers were arrested in South Korea on Monday, accused of destroying evidence relating to the deadly Halloween crowd crush in Seoul, according to authorities in the country. They allegedly ordered their subordinates to destroy an internal report about the risks stemming from a large crowd gathering in Itaewon during Halloween festivities. The two officers were already dismissed from their posts in November over their handling of the Itaewon incident. Both are under suspicion of professional negligence in relation to the crowd crush resulting in deaths and injuries. Video Ad Feedback CNN reporter returns to Itaewon's narrow alley one day after the Halloween disaster.

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