Seoul, South Korea
Act Daily News
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Two former law enforcement officials have been arrested in South Korea on Monday, accused of destroying proof regarding the lethal Halloween crowd crush in Seoul, in line with authorities within the nation.
The arrests of former intelligence officers Park Sung-min of the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Kim Jin-ho of Yongsan Police are the primary in an ongoing investigation into the catastrophe that killed 158 folks in October.
They allegedly ordered their subordinates to destroy an inner report in regards to the dangers stemming from a big crowd gathering in Itaewon throughout Halloween festivities.
The two officers have been already dismissed from their posts in November over their dealing with of the Itaewon incident. Under the phrases of arrest warrants for the pair issued by a Seoul court docket on Monday, prosecutors now have 10 days to file fees.
Most of these killed within the October 29 crush have been younger adults and youngsters, who have been amongst tens of hundreds of partygoers that poured into Seoul’s Itaewon district to rejoice Halloween. Many grew to become trapped because the slim streets clogged up, with survivors and witnesses saying there was little police presence or crowd management till it was too late.
On Monday, the court docket additionally denied arrest warrants for former Yongsan Police officer Lee Im-jae – who was chief of the station – and former emergency monitoring officer Song Byung-joo. Both are beneath suspicion {of professional} negligence in relation to the group crush leading to deaths and accidents.
In dismissing the warrants, the court docket cited a low chance of Lee and Song destroying proof or fleeing. They stay beneath investigation.
Following the catastrophe, a particular police unit was shaped to research what went improper – with officers raiding police stations and workplaces throughout the capital, accumulating inner police reviews and paperwork about emergency calls.
According to these name logs, not less than 11 emergency calls – rising more and more pressing – have been made to the police, pleading for crowd management, then for rescuers. The first calls got here as early as 4 hours earlier than the tragedy unfolded.
Both native and nationwide authorities have since confronted rising public anger and calls for for accountability, with some folks calling for President Yoon Suk Yeol’s elimination over the tragedy.
Act Daily News reporter returns to Itaewon’s slim alley at some point after the Halloween catastrophe. See what’s it like
“I’m desperately asking the politicians of this country. If you’re serious about the pain of the bereaved, you need to become honest. You need to conduct a proper investigation and apologize to our children,” the mom of 1 29-year-old sufferer mentioned at a news convention on November 22. Holding her son’s dying certificates, she mentioned the precise trigger, timing and site of his dying remained unknown.
Other bereaved mother and father on the news convention, represented by the non-profit group Minbyun, described their very own difficulties within the course of; one father mentioned it took him 17 days to attach with different bereaved households, claiming the federal government was not offering enough help.
When requested about these claims, an official from the presidential workplace mentioned a radical investigation “should be conducted,” and the federal government was trying into offering additional compensation and luxury “if the scope of responsibility and the legal perpetrator are clarified.”