SEOUL — On Monday (Sept 30), a South Korean court sentenced the former police chief of a Seoul district to three years in prison for mishandling the response to the deadly Halloween crowd crush in Itaewon in 2022.

Lee Im-jae, head of Yongsan police station, became the first high-ranking police officer convicted in connection with the tragedy that claimed 159 lives nearly two years ago.

The Seoul Western District Court stated that Lee's failure to anticipate the risks of a large Halloween gathering had contributed to the disaster in Itaewon.

The Itaewon incident shocked South Korea, still recovering from the 2014 Sewol ferry sinking, which killed 304 people, including 250 students.

Two other former Yongsan police officers were also sentenced, receiving a two-year jail term and a one-year suspended sentence, respectively.

A man mourns at a memorial altar for the victims during a press conference against the government’s decision to veto a special bill for the Itaewon disaster, which claimed over 150 lives in Seoul's Itaewon district, Jan 30, 2024. PHOTO: Reuters files.

The court described the crowd crush as a "man-made disaster" that could have been prevented or mitigated had the defendants performed their duties properly.

Lee's lawyer told Yonhap news agency before the verdict that it was "unfair" to expect his client to prepare for an unforeseeable event.

Yongsan district chief Park Hee-young and three other district officials were acquitted of charges related to the failure to respond, with the court ruling that they were not directly responsible for crowd control.

Victims' families had previously demanded accountability for both Lee and Park.

Since the incident, relatives have sought punishment for high-ranking officials, including Interior Minister Lee Sang-min. The constitutional court had earlier dismissed a parliamentary vote to impeach the minister.

Prosecutors had requested seven-year prison terms for both Lee and Park, according to reports. This year, parliament passed a bipartisan bill to reopen the investigation into the Halloween tragedy.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters files