South Korea’s Yoon apologises for Halloween crush, vows justice By Reuters

By Hyonhee Shin

SEOUL (Reuters) – South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol apologised on Monday for the lethal Halloween crush in Seoul, pledging to carry to account any officers discovered to be chargeable for sloppy responses and to reform police and security administration programs.

The Oct. 29 crush killed 156 individuals, largely of their twenties and thirties, and injured one other 197 when revellers flooded the slender alleyways of the favored nightlife district of Itaewon to rejoice the primary COVID curbs-free Halloween festivities in three years.

Yoon supplied the apology throughout a gathering to evaluate security guidelines, because the nation continues to mourn the crush victims. An investigation is beneath means into authorities’ responses to the accident.

“I don’t dare to check myself to the dad and mom who misplaced their little kids, however because the president who ought to guard the individuals’s lives and security, I’m heartbroken,” he stated.

“I’m sorry and apologetic to the bereaved households who’re struggling an unspeakable tragedy, and to the individuals who share the ache and sorrow.”

Police have confronted stringent public criticism and scrutiny over its responses in the course of the tragedy, having dispatched simply 137 officers to the world regardless of estimating upfront as many as 100,000 individuals would collect.

Final week, transcripts of a number of emergency calls made out of the hours main as much as the accident confirmed that individuals had warned of a possible crush and urged interventions.

Yoon initially ascribed the authorities’ poor dealing with to flaws within the nation’s crowd administration and security laws. Following the reviews of the decision transcripts, nevertheless, he sharply rebuked the police and apologised to the victims and wider audiences.

At Monday’s security assembly, he vowed to overtake the nationwide security administration system, perform a radical investigation and convey these chargeable for failings to account.

“Specifically, in depth reform is required within the police work, which is important to getting ready for hazard and stopping accidents, to be able to shield the protection of the individuals,” Yoon stated.