A bill to launch a new investigation into the deadly 2022 Halloween crowd crush that left more than 150 mostly young people dead was passed by South Korea’s parliament on Thursday ( May 2 ), according to the bill.
On October 29, 2022, tens of thousands of mostly younger people gathered in Seoul’s sought-after Itaewon entertainment area to celebrate the first post-pandemic holiday festivities.
However, the day turned lethal when revellers poured into a congested, sloping alcove between bars and clubs, with a lack of efficient crowd control steps leading to a group crush that left 158 people dead and hundreds of others injured.
The legislature, which is controlled by the opposition who secured a disaster victory , in April congressional elections, passed the Bill in a bipartisan fashion with 256 vote in behalf, three vetoes and no opposing seats.
In January, Yoon Suk Yeol, the president’s veto of a similar costs that had been approved without the aid of his party.
This time, the parties came to a bargain by amending the previous Bill to replace the nine-member board looking at the hazard from primary analytical authority, a task that could last up to 15 months.
The two former senior police officers were found guilty in February of destroying evidence related to the crush, making them the first police officers to be sentenced for the disaster. The bill to launch a new investigation follows these convictions.
Former Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency head Kim Kwang-ho is on trial for professional negligence charges.
The ex- police chief denies wrongdoing, telling the court on Monday: “instead of seeking a scapegoat, real preventive measures should be carried out”, broadcaster JTBC reported.
District- level officials have been prosecuted over the disaster, but no high- ranking members of the government have resigned or faced prosecution, despite criticism from victims ‘ families over a lack of accountability.