A South Korean court on Monday sentenced to three years in prison the former police chief of a district of Seoul where a stampede left more than 150 dead during the Halloween party, accusing him of not having prevented this crowd movement.
On October 29, 2022, tens of thousands of people, mostly in their 20s and 30s, came out to celebrate the first post-Covid holiday in the popular district of Itaewon. But the evening turned tragic when a large number of people poured into a narrow, sloping alleyway, where bars and clubs are located, leading to the crushing deaths of dozens of people.
Lee Im-jae, the former police chief of Yongsan district, was found guilty of failing to prevent the accident. He is the first police officer to be convicted for his direct role in the disaster. “It was foreseeable that there would be a crowd of people on the sloping alley in Itaewon and a potential serious danger to the physical life and safety of those present during Halloween weekend in 2022,” he said. the Seoul Western District Court said in its judgment.
Another former police officer, head of the Yongsan police emergency center, was sentenced to two years in prison on the same grounds.
The court is also expected to issue another verdict on Monday regarding a former local official, Park Hee-young, head of the Yongsan constituency office at the time of the accident, on similar charges.
Earlier this year, two former senior police officers were jailed for destroying evidence linked to the crash, representing the first convictions in connection with the episode.
Just after the disaster, the two officers allegedly ordered the deletion of four internal police reports which had identified security concerns about possible overcrowding in the area before the incident, the court heard.
Kim Kwang-ho, the former head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, was also tried and is awaiting sentencing on charges of professional negligence resulting in injury or death. Prosecutors are seeking a five-year prison sentence for the former leader. The court is expected to deliver its verdict next month.
Kim Kwang-ho has denied wrongdoing, telling the court in April that “instead of looking for a scapegoat, real preventive measures should be taken,” broadcaster JTBC reported.
Only local officials were prosecuted following the disaster. No government member has resigned or faced prosecution, despite criticism from victims’ families.
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