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<p>On Oct 29, 2022, a Halloween event in South Korea's capital city Seoul turned fatal after 159 people were killed in a stampede due to crowding. A year later, families of the victims have demanded a special investigation into the tragedy. According to a report by the news agency Associated Press on Monday (Oct 30), the families visited the Itaewon area, laid flowers and offered condolences at an alley where the stampede occurred.&nbsp;</p>

<p>“I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I couldn’t protect you. I loved you,” Song Jin Young, 55, the father of one of the victims, said. The report said that the families attended multi-faith prayer services in Itaweon for their loved ones.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Families demand safety minister's resignation</strong></h2>

<p>While attending the prayer services, the families chanted slogans asking South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to offer a more sincere apology and demanded the resignation of Safety Minister Lee Sang-min.</p>

<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/south-korea-seoul-night-life-hotspot-marks-one-year-of-deadly-halloween-crush-652344">Seoul night-life hotspot marks one year of deadly Halloween crush</a></strong></p>

<p>“Apologise! Apologise!” the families shouted before they arrived at a square in Seoul for a memorial service. In a speech, Lee Jeong-min, a representative for the families, urged President Yoon to support efforts to legislate a special law to open an independent investigation into the disaster.</p>

<p>“We did our utmost to raise our children but we couldn’t even touch them when they vanished all of sudden. Where can we talk about our resentment toward this reality?” Lee said.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Lee pointed out that the special law would be the most important legislation to find the cause of the stampede and also discuss the prevention of similar disasters.</p>

<p>Several opposition leaders criticised Yoon for failing to attend the memorial service, which ended with the crowd shouting “We’ll remember you” when names of each of the 159 victims, mostly in their 20s and 30s, were called.&nbsp;</p>

<h2><strong>Top-level officials not charged</strong></h2>

<p>An invitation was given to the president to attend the ceremony, but he instead appeared at a service for the victims at a church in Seoul. Yoon's office did not mention his absence (from the memorial), but local media said it was because of concerns that the event could be politically used by his rivals.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In January, a special probe by the police concluded that police and municipal officials had failed to formulate effective crowd control steps despite correctly anticipating a huge number of people in Itaewon.</p>

<p>As per investigators, police also ignored hotline calls by pedestrians who warned of crowding before the stampede started.</p>

<p>Currently, over 20 police and other officials are on trial. However, the report said that no top-level officials have been charged- which is one of the reasons why the victims' families have demanded a probe.</p>

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On Oct 29, 2022, a Halloween event in South Korea's capital city Seoul turned fatal after 159 people were killed in a stampede due to crowding. A year later, families of the victims have demanded a special investigation into the tragedy.

On Oct 29, 2022, a Halloween event in South Korea's capital city Seoul turned fatal after 159 people were killed in a stampede due to crowding. A year later, families of the victims have demanded a special investigation into the tragedy. According to a report by the news agency Associated Press on Monday (Oct 30), the families visited the Itaewon area, laid flowers and offered condolences at an alley where the stampede occurred. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I couldn’t protect you. I loved you,” Song Jin Young, 55, the father of one of the victims, said. The report said that the families attended multi-faith prayer services in Itaweon for their loved ones. Families demand safety minister's resignation While attending the prayer services, the families chanted slogans asking South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to offer a more sincere apology and demanded the resignation of Safety Minister Lee Sang-min. Also read: Seoul night-life hotspot marks one year of deadly Halloween crush “Apologise! Apologise!” the families shouted before they arrived at a square in Seoul for a memorial service. In a speech, Lee Jeong-min, a representative for the families, urged President Yoon to support efforts to legislate a special law to open an independent investigation into the disaster. “We did our utmost to raise our children but we couldn’t even touch them when they vanished all of sudden. Where can we talk about our resentment toward this reality?” Lee said. Lee pointed out that the special law would be the most important legislation to find the cause of the stampede and also discuss the prevention of similar disasters. Several opposition leaders criticised Yoon for failing to attend the memorial service, which ended with the crowd shouting “We’ll remember you” when names of each of the 159 victims, mostly in their 20s and 30s, were called. Top-level officials not charged An invitation was given to the president to attend the ceremony, but he instead appeared at a service for the victims at a church in Seoul. Yoon's office did not mention his absence (from the memorial), but local media said it was because of concerns that the event could be politically used by his rivals. In January, a special probe by the police concluded that police and municipal officials had failed to formulate effective crowd control steps despite correctly anticipating a huge number of people in Itaewon. As per investigators, police also ignored hotline calls by pedestrians who warned of crowding before the stampede started. Currently, over 20 police and other officials are on trial. However, the report said that no top-level officials have been charged- which is one of the reasons why the victims' families have demanded a probe. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

2022 South Korea Halloween crush: A year after tragedy, victims' kin demand special probe

<p>A South Korean police officer, under investigation following the deaths of 156 people in a Halloween night crowd crush in downtown Seoul, was found dead at his home in the capital on Friday. South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted unnamed police officials confirming the deceased status of the police official, identified by his surname Jeong.</p>

<p>The 55-year-old was in charge&nbsp;of intelligence affairs at the Yongsan Police Station covering the capital Seoul's Itaewon entertainment district where the tragedy took place on October 29.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/south-korea-around-50-suffer-cardiac-arrest-in-halloween-street-crush-529482">South Korea declares national mourning after 152 killed in Seoul Halloween stampede</a></strong></p>

<p>Yongsan Police Station was raided by the investigators as part of the investigation into failures by officials in the Itaewon area to respond effectively to the overcrowding of the entertainment district on October 29.</p>

<p>Earlier, South Korea's Yonhap news agency had reported that the now-deceased police officer had ordered the deletion of an internal intelligence report on a likely safety accident in the Itaewon entertainment district during Halloween celebrations.</p>

<p><strong>ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/south-korea-around-50-suffer-cardiac-arrest-in-halloween-street-crush-529482">South Korea Halloween crush: The tragedy was avoidable, experts say</a></strong></p>

<p>“Jeong has been facing suspicions that after the tragedy, he ordered the deletion of an internal intelligence report giving prior warnings of a possible safety accident during the Halloween period in a suspected attempt to cover up inaction,” Yonhap reported.</p>

<p>“Charges raised against him included abuse of authority, destruction of evidence and professional negligence resulting in death,” the news agency reported, adding that the officer was suspended from duties on Wednesday.</p>

<p><strong>WATCH |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/explained-how-is-a-crowd-crush-different-from-a-stampede-529829">Explained | How is a crowd crush different from a stampede?</a></strong></p>

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<p>The Seoul police chief, Seoul mayor and the country's interior minister issued public apologies after October 29, admitting to the collective failure. The South Korean media reported that the Police did not respond to 7 of the 11 calls made by members of the public to report the overcrowding of the entertainment district, a revelation that stoked anger against the authorities all across South Korea.&nbsp;</p>

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A South Korean police officer, under investigation following the deaths of 156 people in a Halloween night crowd crush in downtown Seoul, was found dead at his home in the capital on Friday.

A South Korean police officer, under investigation following the deaths of 156 people in a Halloween night crowd crush in downtown Seoul, was found dead at his home in the capital on Friday. South Korea's Yonhap news agency quoted unnamed police officials confirming the deceased status of the police official, identified by his surname Jeong. The 55-year-old was in charge of intelligence affairs at the Yongsan Police Station covering the capital Seoul's Itaewon entertainment district where the tragedy took place on October 29. ALSO READ | South Korea declares national mourning after 152 killed in Seoul Halloween stampede Yongsan Police Station was raided by the investigators as part of the investigation into failures by officials in the Itaewon area to respond effectively to the overcrowding of the entertainment district on October 29. Earlier, South Korea's Yonhap news agency had reported that the now-deceased police officer had ordered the deletion of an internal intelligence report on a likely safety accident in the Itaewon entertainment district during Halloween celebrations. ALSO READ | South Korea Halloween crush: The tragedy was avoidable, experts say “Jeong has been facing suspicions that after the tragedy, he ordered the deletion of an internal intelligence report giving prior warnings of a possible safety accident during the Halloween period in a suspected attempt to cover up inaction,” Yonhap reported. “Charges raised against him included abuse of authority, destruction of evidence and professional negligence resulting in death,” the news agency reported, adding that the officer was suspended from duties on Wednesday. WATCH | Explained | How is a crowd crush different from a stampede? × The Seoul police chief, Seoul mayor and the country's interior minister issued public apologies after October 29, admitting to the collective failure. The South Korean media reported that the Police did not respond to 7 of the 11 calls made by members of the public to report the overcrowding of the entertainment district, a revelation that stoked anger against the authorities all across South Korea. WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Police officer facing investigation for Itaewon Halloween crush in South Korea found dead

<p>Worried revellers had alerted South Korean police about possibility of&nbsp;deadly crush four hours before it actually happened, it has been revealed now.</p>

<p>The transcripts of emergency calls released by the police showed the first warning of a possible deadly surge was made at 6:34 pm on Saturday.</p>

<p>The transcripts, released to media, give a chilling prediction of how the tragedy would unfold.</p>

<p>"Looks like you can get crushed to death with people keep coming up here while there's no room for people to go down," a citizen said in that first call. "I barely managed to leave but there are too many people, looks like you should come and control."</p>

<p><strong>Watch | Halloween stampede: South Koreans pay respect at memorial, President vows thorough investigation</strong></p>

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<p>&nbsp;</p>

<p>Police received 10 other similar calls before the chaos was known to have turned fatal - and released all those transcripts on Tuesday.</p>

<p>The deadly Halloween crush resulted in deaths of 155 people and injured another 152. At one time during the crush, 140 ambulances had to be sent to the spot.</p>

<p>South Korea's police chief on Tuesday (November 1), said that crowd control at the location of the horrific Halloween crush was 'inadequate'.</p>

<p>Yoon Hee-keun, the Commissioner General of Korean National Police said this in televised news briefing. He said that he felt 'heavy responsibility' over the incident.</p>

<p>The area in South Korea's capital Seoul where the incident took place was famous for its Halloween celebrations. Partiers got trapped in narrow alleys. The crush resulted in deaths of 155 people and injured another 152. At one time during the crush, 140 ambulances had to be sent to the spot</p>

<p>South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has called for a thorough investigation, and authorities said they were focused on reconstructing the lead-up to the surge in party-goers who got trapped in a narrow alleyway.</p>

<p><em>(With inputs from agencies)</em></p>

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Worried revellers had alerted South Korean police about possibility of deadly crush four hours before it actually happened, it has been revealed now. The transcripts of emergency calls released by the police showed the first warning of a possible deadly surge was made at 6:34 pm on Saturday.

Worried revellers had alerted South Korean police about possibility of deadly crush four hours before it actually happened, it has been revealed now. The transcripts of emergency calls released by the police showed the first warning of a possible deadly surge was made at 6:34 pm on Saturday. The transcripts, released to media, give a chilling prediction of how the tragedy would unfold. "Looks like you can get crushed to death with people keep coming up here while there's no room for people to go down," a citizen said in that first call. "I barely managed to leave but there are too many people, looks like you should come and control." Watch | Halloween stampede: South Koreans pay respect at memorial, President vows thorough investigation × Police received 10 other similar calls before the chaos was known to have turned fatal - and released all those transcripts on Tuesday. The deadly Halloween crush resulted in deaths of 155 people and injured another 152. At one time during the crush, 140 ambulances had to be sent to the spot. South Korea's police chief on Tuesday (November 1), said that crowd control at the location of the horrific Halloween crush was 'inadequate'. Yoon Hee-keun, the Commissioner General of Korean National Police said this in televised news briefing. He said that he felt 'heavy responsibility' over the incident. The area in South Korea's capital Seoul where the incident took place was famous for its Halloween celebrations. Partiers got trapped in narrow alleys. The crush resulted in deaths of 155 people and injured another 152. At one time during the crush, 140 ambulances had to be sent to the spot South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has called for a thorough investigation, and authorities said they were focused on reconstructing the lead-up to the surge in party-goers who got trapped in a narrow alleyway. (With inputs from agencies) You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here. WATCH WION LIVE HERE ×

South Korea: Police were alerted four hours before the deadly crush

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2022 South Korea Halloween crush: A year after tragedy, victims' kin demand special probe

Police officer facing investigation for Itaewon Halloween crush in South Korea found dead

South Korea: Police were alerted four hours before the deadly crush