South Korean police chief says he feels "heavy responsibility" for Halloween crowd crush
Law enforcement officials in South Korea admitted their culpability on Tuesday for failing to properly respond to a festival crowd crush in Seoul that left more than 150 people dead.
Amidst massive growing scrutiny over Saturday's disaster, Yoon Hee Keun, chief of South Korea's National Police Agency, apologized for the inadequate police response during the crowd crush.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The crush, which occurred in Seoul's popular Itaewon District during a Halloween festival, marked South Korea's deadliest disaster since 2014. Following the incident, a law enforcement investigation reportedly discovered that dozens of people had called emergency services as the stampede unfolded. However, Yoon said police officers who answered the calls had failed to properly respond.
Yoon added that an internal probe into the police response had been launched. The probe is reportedly investigating the emergency calls as well as the presence of first responders in the area, AP reported.
Yoon was not the only public official to express remorse for the lackluster response. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon openly wept during a separate press conference, saying, "I'm sorry for the delay in apologizing."
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol admitted during a cabinet meeting that South Korea did not have adequate preparations for crowd management, and called for new systems to be put in place.
-
Le Pen back in the dock: the trial that’s shaking FranceIn the Spotlight Appealing her four-year conviction for embezzlement, the Rassemblement National leader faces an uncertain political future, whatever the result
-
The doctors’ strikesThe Explainer Resident doctors working for NHS England are currently voting on whether to go out on strike again this year
-
5 chilling cartoons about increasing ICE aggressionCartoons Artists take on respect for the law, the Fourth Amendment, and more
-
‘One Battle After Another’ wins Critics Choice honorsSpeed Read Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film, which stars Leonardo DiCaprio, won best picture at the 31st Critics Choice Awards
-
Four Seasons Seoul: a fascinating blend of old and new in South KoreaThe Week Recommends Located right in the heart of the action, this classy hotel is the perfect base to explore the capital
-
Son arrested over killing of Rob and Michele ReinerSpeed Read Nick, the 32-year-old son of Hollywood director Rob Reiner, has been booked for the murder of his parents
-
Rob Reiner, wife dead in ‘apparent homicide’speed read The Reiners, found in their Los Angeles home, ‘had injuries consistent with being stabbed’
-
Hungary’s Krasznahorkai wins Nobel for literatureSpeed Read László Krasznahorkai is the author of acclaimed novels like ‘The Melancholy of Resistance’ and ‘Satantango’
-
The 5 best zombie TV shows of all timeThe Week Recommends For undead aficionados, the age of abundance has truly arrived
-
Primatologist Jane Goodall dies at 91Speed Read She rose to fame following her groundbreaking field research with chimpanzees
-
Florida erases rainbow crosswalk at Pulse nightclubSpeed Read The colorful crosswalk was outside the former LGBTQ nightclub where 49 people were killed in a 2016 shooting
