SEOUL- The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's (SMPA) chief, Kim Kwang-ho, was indicted on charges of professional negligence related to the 2022 Itaewon crowd crush, which resulted in 159 fatalities. This decision was announced by prosecutors on Friday. The incident, occurring on October 29, 2022, during a Halloween weekend in Itaewon, claimed the lives of mostly young individuals in their 20s.
According to the Philippines News Agency, the indictment comes a year and three months after the tragic event. In January of the previous year, a special police investigation team had referred Kim, along with 22 other officials from the police, rescue services, and district office, to the prosecution. These referrals were based on allegations of mishandling the situation, which led to the tragic crowd crush. Prior to this decision, other officials, including the chief of the Yongsan Police Station and the head of the Yongsan Ward office, were indicted, but the prosecution remained uncertain about charging the SMPA chief for over a year.
On Friday, the prosecutors charged Kim with professional negligence resulting in death. The charges assert that Kim failed to dispatch adequate police forces to manage the large Halloween crowd, thereby neglecting the apparent safety risks on the night of the disaster. As the highest-ranking police official implicated in the incident, Kim's indictment is a significant development in the ongoing investigation into the tragedy.
Following the indictment, there is an expectation within the police force that Kim might be removed from his current position. In contrast, the former chief of the Yongsan Fire Station, Choi Seong-beom, was cleared of similar charges. The prosecution decided not to indict Choi, eliminating suspicions of his professional negligence in connection with the Itaewon crowd crush.