Judged By Lalai In Halloween Tragedy In Itaewon, Former Head Of Police Office Sentenced To Prison

The limited memory at Seoul City Hall Plaza is for victims of the Halloween Itaewon tragedy. (Wikimedia Commons/Bonnielou2013)

JAKARTA - A South Korean court sentenced a highest-ranking police officer in connection with a push-by incident during Halloween that led to death.

The former head of a local police station in Seoul has been sentenced to three years in prison for a deadly jostling incident during Halloween 2022, making him the highest-ranking law enforcement official to be criminally responsible for the disaster.

Nearly 160 people died in a jostling incident in the Itaewon night entertainment district on October 29 of that year, in one of South Korea's deadliest disasters that shaken the country.

Lee Im-jae, former head of the Yongsan police station, who oversees security in Itaewon, is one of several officers demanded for failing to prepare adequately for a large crowd of Halloween.

The Seoul Western District Court said on Monday it ruled Lee and two other former Yongsan police officers were guilty of ignoring their duties, resulting in deaths and injuries, despite signs that "the danger of casualties on a large scale" was predictable.

Lee was also found guilty of failing to implement adequate mass control and sending intelligence officers to the location. The court also found Lee late in responding to the disaster.

According to police emergency summons on the day of the incident, several calls from the public were made about the density of visitors since four hours before the situation worsened seriously.

Four policemen were sent to Itaewon. However, the crowd had swelled and the streets became so crowded that party visitors could not move.

Some people slip under the feet of others, unable to breathe. Most of those who died that night were the younger generation of South Korea, mostly in their teens and early 20s.

Public anger turned to South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and his administration at the time, with critics condemning the lack of accountability.

Last year, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced a series of new measures "to ensure safe Halloween", including a new CCTV system to monitor the number of people.

Lee was the most senior police officer convicted after a court sentenced an 18-month prison sentence to an intelligence officer while imposing a shorter sentence and being suspended to his two subordinates on charges of destroying evidence earlier this year.

In January, a former Seoul police chief was charged with negligence in connection with the tragedy. He has also been tried and is awaiting a verdict.

Itahui, Itaewon, tempat beberapa restoran dan bar populer di Seoul berada, telah menjadi tempat perayaan Halloween selama bertahun-tahun.