South Korean judicial system imprisons top-tier law enforcement official in penitentiary, marking first high-level convict for Halloween disaster.
Nearly 160 individuals perished in a crowd chaos at the trendy Itaewon nightlife district on October 29 that year, marking one of South Korea's most fatal catastrophes that left the country in shock.
Former chief of the Yongsan police station, Lee Im-jae, who supervises safety in Itaewon, is among several officers being prosecuted for not sufficiently preparing for the massive Halloween crowd.
Seoul Western District Court declared on Monday that they found Lee and two other former Yongsan police officers guilty of negligence, resulting in fatalities and injuries, despite evident indications that "the risk of massive casualties" was imminent.
Lee was also found guilty of insufficient crowd control measures and failing to send intelligence officials to the site. The court also found Lee to be slow in responding to the disaster. He was acquitted of perjury.
He is South Korea's highest-ranking police officer to be convicted, following a court sentence of 18 months in prison to an intelligence officer for destroying evidence earlier this year and lighter, suspended sentences for his subordinates on similar charges.
In January, Seoul's previous police chief was indicted on negligence charges in connection with the disaster. He is currently on trial, awaiting a verdict.
Itaewon, known for its popular restaurants and bars, had been hosting Halloween celebrations for years.
According to police emergency call logs from the day of the incident, numerous public calls were made about overcrowding as early as four hours before the situation deteriorated significantly.
Four police dispatches were sent to Itaewon. However, the crowds had already swollen, and the streets became so congested that partygoers were unable to move.
Some individuals slipped beneath others, unable to breathe. Most of those who lost their lives that night were young South Koreans – primarily in their teens and early 20s.
Public anger turned toward South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his administration at the time, with critics condemning the lack of accountability.
Last year, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced numerous new safety measures "to guarantee a safe Halloween," including the installation of a new CCTV system to monitor crowd numbers.
Other parts of Asia also took steps to learn from Seoul's mistake and prevent a repeat of the tragedy.
In Japan, authorities urged young people to avoid popular areas in the nightlife district of Shibuya, a popular gathering spot on Halloween night, last year.
In the city of Guangzhou in southeastern China, officials banned "scary makeup and dressing" on trains to "preempt any potential panic" on the metro service.
The world was shocked by South Korea's catastrophe in Itaewon, with Asia paying close attention to the measures implemented to prevent similar incidents.
Despite warnings of overcrowding and imminent risks, former Yongsan police chief Lee Im-jae and his colleagues were found guilty of negligence, contributing to fatalities and injuries during Halloween celebrations in Itaewon.
