Seoul CNN —The former head of a local police station in Seoul has been sentenced to three years in jail over a deadly 2022 Halloween crowd crush, making him the highest-ranking law enforcement official to be held criminally liable over the disaster.
Seoul Western District Court said Monday it found Lee and two other former Yongsan police officers guilty of neglecting their duties, which resulted in deaths and injuries, despite signs that “the danger of large-scale casualties” was foreseeable.
Itaewon, home to some of Seoul’s popular restaurants and bars, had hosted Halloween celebrations for years.
Most who died that night were young South Koreans – largely in their teens and early 20s.
Last year, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced a slew of new measures “to ensure a safe Halloween” – including a new CCTV system to monitor crowd numbers.
Persons:
Lee Im, Lee, Itaewon, Yoon Suk Yeol
Organizations:
Seoul CNN, Seoul, South Koreans, South, Seoul Metropolitan Government
Locations:
Seoul, Yongsan, Itaewon, Asia, Japan, Shibuya, Guangzhou, China