Seoul’s former police chief was cleared of neglect by a North Korean court after the 159-person death toll from the Halloween group lover in 2022.
Kim Kwang-ho was the highest-ranked officers national to be charged over the drama in the Itaewon entertainment district.
The judge stated during the hearing on Thursday that the prosecution’s evidence was unsatisfactory to demonstrate Kim’s neglect of duties before the incident and during the primary response.
A lower-ranked authorities standard, Lee Im-jae, was sentenced last month to three years in prison for failing to prevent the love that shocked the world.
The victims ‘ families have been vocal critics of the verdict.
Kim was indicted only last January, more than a year after the tragedy. The families said he should have been charged earlier. He was dismissed from his post in June after receiving disciplinary action over the crush, according to Yonhap.
Two of Kim’s co-accused who worked as position administration officials on the day of the lover, Ryu Mi-jin and Jeong Dae-gyeong, were also found no innocent.
The victims ‘ families said in a statement released by Yonhap news agency that they firmly condemned the verdict and demanded that the prosecution file an appeal.
The court “missed an opportunity to represent on the magnitude of the duty of public officials to safeguard the lives and security of the people,” the families said.
They claimed that the defendant’s poor research and the prosecutor’s quiet interpretation of the law had again hampered the defendant’s ability to punish those responsible for the tragedy and had infringed on the right of the patients.
A special police panel earlier investigated the case and in January, it released its report that largely spared senior government officials from blame.
Otherwise, the report held regional provincial and emergency services officials accountable for poor planning and a weak emergency response.
The majority of the 2022 patients were young folks celebrating Halloween in Itaewon, a city known for its buzzing bars and restaurants that line its narrow streets. One of those cramped streets was where the love took place.
Some accounts say more than 100, 000 were in the place that hour. South Korea was shaken by the incident, which led to accusations that the authorities did not take adequate steps to stop the drama.