Crime & Justice

Seoul police chief charged with Halloween tragedy negligence

Seoul, Jan 19 (EFE). The South Korean prosecutor’s office charged the head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency with professional negligence resulting in death Friday for the failed response in a crush that killed 159 people during the 2022 Halloween celebrations in Itaewon.

A special January 2023 police investigation unit referred Kim Kwang-ho and 22 other officials from the various police forces, emergency teams and the Yongsan District Municipality to the prosecution on charges related to the authorities’ failed response to the tragedy.

The Seoul Western District Prosecutor’s Office has since indicted the Yongsan police station chief, the Yongsan mayor, and other officials, but there had apparently been indecision surrounding indicting the top police official.

The prosecution filed the newest charges Friday against Kim, accusing him of failing to fulfill his duty by not sending troops to the scene of the tragedy despite signs of dangerous crowds on the night of the disaster.

The prosecution decided not to formally charge Choi Seong-beom, former head of Yongsan fire station, with professional negligence.

The association of the victims’ relatives said it celebrated the decision, adding that it regretted it had taken so long and demanded that Kim resign from his position, urging South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol to dismiss him.

“The prosecution’s indictment once again clearly confirms that the top representatives of the police are responsible for deaths caused by professional negligence,” the association said in a statement sent to the media.

The association has criticized the investigation carried out at the time by the police and requests that a special team of prosecutors reopen the investigations, in addition to condemning the lack of full support from the government for the families of the deceased and the survivors. EFE

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