SEOUL (CNA) – South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol apologised yesterday for the deadly Halloween crush in Seoul, pledging to hold to account any officials found to be responsible for sloppy responses and to reform police and safety management systems.
Yoon offered an apology during a meeting to review safety rules, as the country continues to mourn the crush victims. An investigation is underway into authorities’ responses to the accident.
“I do not dare to compare myself to the parents who lost their sons and daughters, but as the president who ought to protect the people’s lives and safety, I am heartbroken,” he said.
“I am sorry and apologetic to the bereaved families who are suffering an unspeakable tragedy, and to the people who share the pain and sorrow.”
Police have faced stringent public criticism and scrutiny over their responses during the tragedy, having dispatched just 137 officers to the area despite estimating in advance as many as 100,000 people would gather.
Last week, transcripts of several emergency calls made in the hours leading up to the accident showed that people had warned of a potential crush and urged interventions.
Yoon initially ascribed the authorities’ poor handling to flaws in the country’s crowd management and safety regulations. Following the reports of the call transcripts, however, he sharply rebuked the police and apologised to the victims and wider audiences.
He vowed to overhaul the national safety management system, carry out a thorough investigation and bring those responsible for failings to account at the safety meeting yesterday.
