Pedestrians on Tuesday walk in an alley in Itaewon, central Seoul, where a crowd crush on Oct. 29, 2022, killed 159 and injured 195. (Yonhap)
Pedestrians on Tuesday walk in an alley in Itaewon, central Seoul, where a crowd crush on Oct. 29, 2022, killed 159 and injured 195. (Yonhap)

With the three-year anniversary of the 2022 Itaewon tragedy coming up, government data on Wednesday indicated that only nine government officials linked to the accident that killed 159 have faced disciplinary action.

Data revealed by Rep. Yang Bu-nam of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea showed that four civil servants were dismissed, one was suspended, three had wages cut and one was reprimanded. Eight of the nine government officials were police officers, including then-Yongsan Police Chief Lee Im-jae and then-Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency head Kim Kwang-ho.

One of the deadliest accidents in South Korea in recent years, the Itaewon incident occurred when a massive number of people gathering for Halloween celebrations created a bottleneck in a narrow alley, leading to stampede and suffocation. A government investigation revealed insufficient efforts were undertaken to control the crowd, followed by inappropriate measures during the initial response to the accident.

Both Lee and Kim were indicted for their roles in the accident, and Lee in 2024 became the highest-ranking official to receive criminal punishment for the tragedy.

But 62 state officials are believed to bear responsibility for the tragedy, according to a government report announced Oct. 23 about the investigation of the National Police Agency, SMPA, Yongsan Police Station, Seoul city government and district office of Yongsan-gu.

The report showed that the relocation of the presidential office to Yongsan — ordered by then-President Yoon Suk Yeol — touched off a shortage in police in the area. This resulted in no officers being dispatched around the Itaewon area, which is part of the Yongsan district, despite massive crowds expected to gather there. It was also found that Yongsan Police had enacted security plans for Halloween festivities in 2020 and 2021, but not in 2022.

The government has said it will request disciplinary actions for 51 police officers and 11 Seoul city and Yongsan-gu district officials.


minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com