Seoul\u2019s chief of police has been charged with professional negligence over the deadly 2022 Halloween crush that killed nearly 160 people, prosecutors in the South Korean capital said. On Oct 29, 2022, tens of thousands of people \u2014 mostly in their 20s and 30s \u2014 had been out to enjoy post-pandemic holiday celebrations in Seoul\u2019s Itaewon nightlife district. But the night turned deadly when people poured into a narrow, sloping alleyway between bars and clubs, the weight of their bodies and a lack of effective crowd control leaving more than 150 crushed to death. Kim Kwang-ho, head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, was charged with professional negligence resulting in injury or death, Seoul\u2019s Western District Prosecutors\u2019 Office said in a statement released. As the chief of the SMPA, he \u201cdid not take necessary measures, such as deploying sufficient police forces and ensuring proper command and supervision\u201d on the day of the crush, the statement said, although he was able to \u201cforesee potential dangers arising\u201d from overcrowding in the nightlife area. Kim, the highest-ranking police official to face trial over the tragedy, was charged without detention.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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