[Itaewon Tragedy] "Warning Signs, Preventable" vs "Not an Issue Solved by Police Manpower Reallocation"

Controversy over Minister of the Interior Sang-min Lee's Remarks... "No Particularly Large Crowd to Worry About, Issue Not Seen as Solvable by Fire Personnel Reallocation"
Minbyun: "Could Dilute Disaster and Safety Management Responsibilities of Government and Local Authorities... Deep Regret"
Voices Saying "Worst Case Could Have Been Prevented if Police and Fire Personnel Were Deployed More Nearby"
Major Foreign Media Point Out "Lack of Preventive Measures"

On the 30th, ahead of Halloween, flowers were placed in the Itaewon area of Yongsan-gu, Seoul, to commemorate the victims of the large-scale crush disaster that occurred in the Itaewon district. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Despite expectations that a large crowd would gather in Itaewon for the first Halloween Day since the COVID-19 social distancing measures were lifted, the government has been criticized for insufficient preparation. The police anticipated 100,000 people on Halloween Day and deployed only 200 personnel, focusing mainly on cracking down on drug offenses and sexual crimes such as forced molestation.

In particular, Lee Sang-min, Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, who is responsible for national disaster countermeasures, made remarks suggesting that the crowd was not large enough to cause special concern and that even if police and fire personnel had been deployed in advance, the situation would not have been resolved, which has intensified the controversy.

On the 30th, at an emergency briefing held at the Seoul Government Complex, Minister Lee said, "Compared to before, there was not a particularly concerning large crowd," and added, "Unlike usual, this was not a problem that could have been resolved simply by deploying police or fire personnel in advance, as we understand it now."

He continued, "Since the situation in Itaewon did not deviate significantly from previous levels, it is understood that a similar level of forces as in normal times was deployed there."

Many police personnel were deployed to respond to gatherings in Gwanghwamun, and due to traffic conditions, the deployment of fire personnel to the scene was delayed, resulting in the first-level response being issued only after more than an hour following the incident. Minister Lee said, "There were various disturbances and protests throughout Seoul yesterday, so police security forces were dispersed to those locations."

Minister Lee explained, "I do not have an exact count of the police forces deployed in Itaewon," adding, "A significant portion of the police security forces were deployed around Gwanghwamun. It seems that even forces from other regions were planned to be mobilized and arranged in preparation for emergencies."

Ahead of Halloween, large-scale crushing disaster occurred in the Itaewon area on the 30th, and shops in Itaewon, Yongsan-gu, Seoul are closing and suspending operations. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

Some voices argue that if police and fire personnel had been deployed more extensively nearby, the worst-case scenario could have been prevented. In particular, there were criticisms that Minister Lee's remarks suggesting that the issue could not have been resolved by pre-deployment of police or fire personnel were inappropriate.

The Lawyers for a Democratic Society issued a statement saying, "Minister Lee's definitive remarks that the problem could not have been resolved by pre-deployment of police or fire personnel without any investigation could dilute the government's and local governments' responsibilities for disaster and safety management," and warned, "There is a risk of shifting the responsibility for the tragedy onto the victims." They also expressed "deep regret over Minister Lee's inappropriate remarks, which should not have been made during the response to the disaster."

Actor Yoon Hong-bin, who assisted with CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) at the accident scene, wrote on his Instagram, "This tragedy is an event that we must grieve and mourn together," and added, "There were sufficient warning signs, and it was preventable." He emphasized, "I cannot erase the thought that if police officers had at least stood in the middle to allow right-side traffic flow."

Major foreign media also criticized the Korean government's lack of preventive measures despite this being the first Halloween festival after COVID-19 restrictions were lifted. The New York Times (NYT) cited Brian Higgins, an instructor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, saying that police and public safety officials appeared unprepared to handle the crowd size that emerged, and noted, "It seems quite clear that there was insufficient on-site personnel and planning." Higgins added, "It is clear that more people entered the space than its capacity, and there should have been plans to disperse them quickly."

AFP reported that the Korean police announced deploying 200 officers in Itaewon for Halloween security and conveyed a critical view that this tragedy was a 'man-made disaster' triggered by complacency and lack of preparation. The report also introduced interviews with Itaewon merchants and government officials emphasizing the need for adequate preparation for large crowd gatherings.

Meanwhile, on the 26th, despite a meeting held with police, Yongsan District officials, local merchant association representatives, and the Itaewon Station manager of Subway Line 6 to discuss issues related to the Halloween crowd, it is known that no related countermeasures were prepared. The police deployed 200 officers in Itaewon, but they focused on cracking down on sexual crimes, drugs, and theft.

Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, wearing a black ribbon on his chest, is answering questions from the press during a briefing related to the "Itaewon Crowd Crush Disaster" at the briefing room of the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 30th. Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.