Police Officers Charged With “Negligence Resulting In Death” During The Deadly Itaewon Tragedy
Two police officers have been charged in connection with the deadly crowd crush in Seoul’s Itaewon district in 2022. This development was announced on Monday — over a year after the incident on October 29, which led to the death of 159 people during Halloween celebrations.
The officers who were in charge of patrolling the area are accused of failing to respond properly to 11 emergency calls on the night of the tragedy. The Seoul Western District Prosecutors Office has charged them with professional negligence resulting in death. These charges highlight serious concerns about the way the situation was handled and the effectiveness of the police response.
One of the officers is also accused of making a false entry in the police records, claiming to have visited the site on the day of the incident. This allegation, if true, points to a deeper issue of misconduct within the police force.
These indictments are part of a larger investigation into the tragedy. In January 2023, a special police team referred 23 government officials to the prosecution for their roles in the incident. Last week, Kim Kwang Ho, the head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, was also charged with professional negligence. His indictment is significant as it marks the highest level of government accountability in the case so far.
The Itaewon crowd crush is a reminder of the critical importance of effective crowd management and emergency response. The charges against these officers and others are a step towards understanding what went wrong and preventing such incidents in the future. As the legal process unfolds, it is hoped that it will bring some closure to the families of the victims and lead to improvements in public safety measures.
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