
South Korea Officials Admit Responsibility In Halloween Tragedy
Newsy
National police chief Yoon Hee Keun said an initial investigation found police failed to handle urgent calls from citizens effectively.
South Korean officials admitted responsibility and apologized on Tuesday for failures in preventing and responding to a Halloween crowd surge that killed more than 150 people and left citizens shocked and angry.
The government is facing growing public scrutiny over whether the crush Saturday night in Seoul's Itaewon district, a popular nightlife neighborhood, could have been prevented and who should take responsibility for the country's worst disaster in years.
National police chief Yoon Hee Keun said an initial investigation found there were many urgent calls from citizens notifying authorities about the potential danger of the crowd gathering in Itaewon. He said police officers who received the calls failed to handle them effectively.