South Korea: Investigators conduct raid into police stations, emergency centers

South Korean authorities have vowed to conduct a thorough investigation into the tragic Halloween crowd crush that took place in Itaewon over the weekend. Investigators this week raided nearby police stations and emergency response centers as part of the probe.

Police investigators conducted raids in police stations and emergency response centers in the capital Seoul as part of the probe into the tragic crowd crush in Itaewon that killed more than 150 people. The raids, which took place Wednesday, came amidst growing calls for the South Korean police to explain why they took little action in responding to the emergency calls that they received hours and minutes before the fatal accident occurred.

A special investigation unit obtained documents and other relevant materials from the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency and from the Yongsan police station, district office, fire department, and the Seoul Metro headquarters, according to South Korea’s Yonhap news. Itaewon district is found in Yongsan.

The publishing of the transcripts of the emergency calls to the police sparked public outrage. The transcripts showed that within the four-hour timeframe of the worsening incident, the police received 11 emergency calls and only acted on four of such calls by dispatching officers to disperse the crowd. Once the crowds were dispersed, the police reportedly returned to other duties and did not take action on the other seven calls.

Most people in their 20s were among those who died in the crowd crush. Over 150 other people were injured in the incident, including 29 that are in critical condition.

South Korea’s National Police Commissioner General Yoon Hee-keun said Tuesday that the response by law enforcement was “inadequate” and said that he felt “limitless responsibility about public safety.” Yoon also pledged that tougher security measures would be taken to prevent such an incident from happening again.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol declared a national period of mourning following the tragic event and paid his respects to the victims during his visit to the makeshift memorial. Prior to his visit, Yoon said the country needed to improve its system for managing large crowds.

“We should come up with concrete safety measures to manage crowds, not only on these streets where this massive disaster took place, but at other places like stadiums and concert venues where large crowds gather,” Yoon reportedly told a cabinet meeting.