More than 150 people died in an accident in the capital of South Korea in October 2022. Now the prosecutor has filed charges against the police chief of Seoul for the events of less than two years ago.
Seoul the chief police chief of the metropolitan area has been indicted for an incident that happened in October 2022 in Seoul, the capital of South Korea, in which more than 150 people died and dozens of people were injured in a crowd during a Halloween celebration. This is reported by the news agency AFP.
Police commissioner Kim Kwang-ho is accused of neglect of professional duty, which is suspected to have led to deaths and injuries, says the prosecutor's office in a statement published on Friday.
According to the statement, the police chief failed to take necessary measures on the day of the accident, such as ensuring proper guidance and supervision. The police chief is also suspected of not deploying enough policemen at the scene when the accident occurred.
The statement considers that as police chief, he would have been able to foresee possible dangerous situations.
More than 150 people died in the accident.
In October On the 29th, tens of thousands of people had gone out to celebrate Halloween, when at night the party suddenly turned into chaos and a huge tragedy. Most of the people at the party were young adults.
The coronavirus pandemic and the resulting restrictions had prevented the normal celebration of Halloween in the two previous years. However, in the Itaewon district, now known for its clubs and bars, people had gathered to celebrate without safety gaps or face masks.
A deadly crowd formed in the alley that intersects with the main street of the Itaewon area, where people were pressed together and unable to move. People fell on top of each other and probably died from lack of oxygen.
More than 150 people died in the stampede. Most of the victims were teenagers and twenty-somethings.
The police the chain of command and its leaders' reaction to the major accident immediately woke up after the accident growing criticism and anger in South Korea. Among other things, it was said that the police arrived at the crash site in Seoul only 85 minutes after the major accident.
In January of last year, the prosecutor started an investigation into the actions of the authorities in connection with the accident. The subjects of the investigation were a couple of dozen officials from the police, rescue service and district offices.
As a result of the investigation, the prosecutor brought charges against, among others, the Yongsan Police Station in Seoul, whose district Itaewon belongs to. According to AFP, the prosecution of Kim Kwang-ho was delayed for more than a year. The families of the victims have demanded that he be brought to justice and resign from his position.
The relatives have also appealed to the president of South Korea in the matter to Yoon Suk-yeol and asked him to fire the police chief immediately.
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