South Korea Halloween crush response was inadequate – Police 

South Korea Halloween crush response was inadequate – Police 

South Korea’s police chief has acknowledged the police response to the Itaewon crush was “inadequate.” 

It is the first acknowledgement from officials that they didn’t do enough to prevent it. 

Police chief Yoon Hee-Keun has vowed a full investigation into the crush that killed 156 people and injured 152 others.

Halloween crowd crush 

On Saturday, crowds gathered in an alley in Itaewon, a popular nightlife district in Seoul, to celebrate Halloween without any Covid restrictions – for the first time. 

Police received numerous calls before the accident happened, alerting them to the seriousness of the situation, but their response was lacking. 

The police chief described the police response as “disappointing.” 

Interior Minister Lee Sang-min made an apology to citizens. “It is very sad for me as a father who has a son and daughter… it is difficult to express in words how unreal this situation is, and it is difficult to accept this situation,” he said.