Photo : YONHAP News
The prosecution has appealed the acquittal of Kim Kwang-ho, a former head of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, of negligence related to the 2022 crowd crush that killed 159 people in Seoul’s Itaewon neighborhood.
The Seoul Western District Prosecutors’ Office announced on Wednesday that it has filed appeals not only in Kim’s case but also those of Ryu Mi-jin, who was in charge of the Seoul police agency’s emergency call monitoring system at the time of the tragedy, and Jeong Dae-kyung, a former head of its emergency situation team.
Last Thursday the Seoul Western District Court found Kim, Ryu and Jeong not guilty of causing death or injury by occupational and gross negligence.
The prosecution is arguing that, considering the power vested in the police chief under the law, Kim could have predicted the risk of an accident and had an obligation to take effective measures to prevent it.
Also in its appeal, the prosecution said related laws and manuals stipulate that personnel at the police agency’s emergency situation room are obligated to not only be briefed on accidents but also to analyze the details of each report and devise countermeasures.