SEOUL. A South Korean court has sentenced the former police chief of Seoul’s Yongsan district to three years in prison for his failure to prevent a deadly Halloween crowd crush in Itaewon that claimed 159 lives in 2022.
Lee Im-jae, the former Yongsan police station chief, is the first senior police official to be convicted in connection with the tragedy. The Seoul Western District Court ruled on Monday that Lee’s failure to anticipate the dangers of a massive Halloween gathering in the popular Itaewon nightlife area contributed to the tragic event.
The court stated that the crowd crush was a “man-made disaster,” highlighting that the loss of lives could have been prevented or mitigated had the officials fulfilled their duties. “The Itaewon tragedy could have been avoided if the authorities had acted responsibly,” the court added in its ruling.
Two other former Yongsan police officials received lesser sentences. One was sentenced to two years in prison, while another was given a one-year sentence suspended for two years. These officials were found guilty of not taking adequate measures to manage the crowd during the Halloween festivities.
Lee’s defense lawyer, speaking to Yonhap News Agency before the ruling, argued that expecting his client to prepare for such a tragedy was “excessively harsh,” as it was deemed an unpredictable event. Nonetheless, the court held Lee responsible, emphasizing that he should have foreseen the risks associated with the large crowd.
The Itaewon crowd crush has drawn comparisons to South Korea’s 2014 Sewol ferry disaster, which claimed the lives of 304 people, including 250 students on a school trip. The nation has been grappling with the lingering trauma of these tragic events.
In addition to Lee, Yongsan district office chief Park Hee-young, along with three other district officials, had been on trial for their roles in the aftermath of the incident. However, they were acquitted of charges related to failing to respond adequately to the crowd crush. The court ruled that they were not directly responsible for crowd control on the night of the disaster.
Relatives of the victims have expressed their disappointment over the acquittals. Speaking ahead of the verdict, they had called for both Lee and Park to be held accountable for the catastrophe.
Since the tragedy, families of the victims have persistently sought justice, demanding that high-ranking officials, including South Korean Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, be held accountable. Although a parliamentary vote to impeach the minister failed last year, the push for accountability remains strong.
In a related development, South Korean lawmakers from both ruling and opposition parties passed a bill earlier this year to reopen the investigation into the Halloween crush. Prosecutors had initially sought seven-year prison sentences for both Lee and Park.
As the country continues to mourn, this ruling marks a significant moment in the legal proceedings surrounding the Itaewon tragedy, with the hope that justice for the victims and their families is finally being served.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
