South Korean police chief admits responsibility for the Seoul tragedy
South Korea
South Korean police chief on Tuesday admitted responsibility for the distressing crowd surge that took the lives of over 150 during Halloween festivities in the Itaewon district of Seoul.
Reportedly, Yoon Hee Keun, commissioner general of the Korean National Police Agency in a televised press conference made the remarks, after the public piled pressure to fix responsibility on the authorities.
“I feel a heavy responsibility (for the disaster) as the head of one of related government offices. Police will do their best to prevent a tragedy like this from happening again.”
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Yoon admitted there were several lapses in response from the police. He said the initial investigation carried found that the urgent calls made by the citizens notifying them about the potential crush were not adequately responded to by the officers.
The police chief added that an internal investigation had been opened to ascertain clearly how the officers had handled the emergency calls and other issues such as their on-the-spot response in the face of a crisis.
The admission by the police chief comes a day after security experts said proper crowd and traffic control by South Korean authorities could have prevented or at least mitigated the surge of Halloween partygoers in the lanes.
Read more: South Korea Halloween crush: The tragedy was avoidable, experts say
On Sunday, South Korea's President Yoon Suk-Yeol ordered a thorough investigation saying that the deadly stampede at the Halloween event "should not have happened".
"In the centre of Seoul, a tragedy and disaster occurred that should not have happened," Yoon said in a national address, vowing to "thoroughly investigate" the incident and ensure it never happens again.
Read more: South Korea declares national mourning after 152 killed in Seoul Halloween stampede
(With inputs from agencies)
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