The former head of a local police station in Seoul has been sentenced to three years in jail over a deadly 2022 Halloween crowd crush, making him the highest-ranking law enforcement official held criminally liable for the disaster.
Almost 160 people died in the Itaewon nightlife district crowd crush on October 29, one of South Korea’s deadliest disasters. Lee Im-jae, former chief of Yongsan police station, which oversees safety in Itaewon, was prosecuted for failing to prepare for the large Halloween crowds. Seoul Western District Court found Lee guilty of neglecting his duties, failing to implement sufficient crowd control, and delaying his reaction to the disaster.
