Seoul Parliamentary Hearing Probes Itaewon Crowd Crush, Seeks Accountability
A parliamentary hearing into the Itaewon disaster opened in Seoul on the 11th to determine what happened and who is responsible. The session, the first of its kind in years, seeks to establish accountability for the crowd crush that overwhelmed Seoul’s nightlife district more than three years and five months ago. Survivors testified about the chaos and fear they endured that night.
One survivor recalled the moment when the pressure in the crowd became unbearable, saying their chest felt crushed and they could not breathe. They added that even if their legs were injured for life, they valued living and hoped to keep their lives intact.
Im Jae, the former chief of the Yongsan Police Station, told the hearing that the disaster might not have occurred if the Presidential Office had not relocated to the Yongsan area. He argued that Halloween-related deployments to the presidential complex spread police resources thin and that fatigue among Yongsan police staff reduced response capability.
Yoon Hee-geun, the former head of the National Police Agency, apologized to the victims’ families, saying he bears overall responsibility as part of the leadership at the time. In contrast, Kim Kwang-ho, the former Seoul Metropolitan Police Chief, refused to take an oath and to testify, prompting interruptions from the audience. The Special Investigation Committee indicated it plans to press charges against Kim.
The hearing also scrutinized a separate incident in which Park Hee-young, the Yongsan District chief, was accused of directing district staff to collect leaflets near the Presidential Office on the day of the disaster. Park reportedly messaged Jeong Jae-guan, head of the Military Mutual Aid Association (and a former classmate of the presidential security chief), eight minutes after the fire department’s Level 1 emergency alert, raising questions about coordination near the presidential compound.
Jeong Jae-guan’s ties to senior security officials were cited in the discussions, with Park saying he remembers reporting the matter but denying any involvement by the Presidential Office. The panel said it would continue its inquiry to determine responsibility and possible security missteps linked to the presidential complex’s operations.
Beyond Korea, the hearing matters to U.S. readers because it centers on how political decisions and security planning intersect with public safety during large-scale urban events. The outcomes could influence South Korea’s governance credibility, the management of mass gatherings, and the reliability of safety and security cooperation with the United States, a cornerstone of the U.S.–South Korea alliance. Public trust in institutions and the preparedness of police and emergency services affect investments, tourism, and cross-border collaboration in tech, supply chains, and defense.