Former Seoul Yongsan Police Chief Lee Im-jae sentenced to three years in prison for Itaewon massacre... ”The crowds were foreseeable” = South Korea

Lee Im-jae (54), former Seoul Yongsan Police Chief, who was on trial for allegedly insufficient response before and after the Itaewon tragedy, was sentenced to prison in the first trial.
On the 30th, the 11th Criminal Division of the Seoul Western District Court sentenced Lee, who was indicted on charges of professional negligence resulting in death and injury, to three years in prison. The court also ruled that Lee had given false testimony at a National Assembly hearing (National Assembly testimony).
The court found him not guilty of false witnesses and the creation and use of false public documents. The court said, "Taking into account media reports and police reports, it is clear that the 2022 Halloween holiday will be held on the 1st of every month.
"We believe it was possible to foresee that a large crowd would have gathered on the sloping alleyway in Itaewon, with pedestrians pushing and squeezing each other, posing a serious danger to the lives and bodies of pedestrians," the statement said.
On the day of the Itaewon tragedy, a large number of people gathered in the Itaewon area, and although it was possible to foresee a safety accident occurring, the police did not take any measures to prevent the accident and instead deployed riot police and controlled roads.
He was put on trial for failing to take timely action and causing serious damage to human life. He also instructed his staff not to accurately record the time of his arrival at the scene in order to hide his sloppy response.
He was charged with falsely testifying at a National Assembly hearing that he had learned of the disaster at a later date and that he had instructed the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency to request assistance from the riot police (National Assembly testimony).
He was also indicted on charges of professional negligence resulting in death and injury, and Son Byeong-ju (53), head of the 112th Situation Room at Yongsan Police Station, was sentenced to two years in prison.
The team leaders were each given one year in prison with two years of probation. Jeong Hyun-Woo (54), head of the Women's Youth Division, and Choi (55), head of the Public Safety Division, were both charged with false public documents.
The assistant was acquitted.