Itaewon crush: South Korea police admit response was inadequate

South Korea's constabulary main has said assemblage power during the Itaewon crush was "inadequate" - the archetypal acknowledgement from officials that they did not bash capable to forestall it.

Amid increasing calls for accountability, Yoon Hee-keun said helium felt "limitless work astir nationalist safety" implicit what happened.

He vowed a afloat investigation.

Interior Minister Lee Sang-min besides apologised for the incidental that killed 156 radical and injured 152 others.

It happened connected Saturday nighttime arsenic crowds gathered successful an alley successful Itaewon, a fashionable nightlife territory successful Seoul, to observe Halloween without restrictions for the archetypal clip since Covid.

Mr Yoon said constabulary had received galore calls earlier the mishap happened, alerting them to the seriousness of the situation, but their effect was lacking.

Seoul constabulary person told the BBC the archetypal telephone to South Korea's exigency fig came astatine 18:34 section clip - hours earlier the deadly crush reportedly began - and determination were 10 much calls implicit the adjacent three-and-a-half hours.

The constabulary main said the constabulary effect was "disappointing". They would behaviour a "speedy and rigorous intensive investigation" to spot if due enactment was taken aft receiving the calls, and if officers had reacted appropriately.

In a National Assembly meeting, Interior Minister Lee Sang-min made an apology to citizens. "It is precise bittersweet for maine arsenic a begetter who has a lad and daughter… it is hard to explicit successful words however unreal this concern is, and it is hard to judge this situation," helium said.

Mr Yoon and Mr Lee's comments travel growing nationalist demands for accountability. But different authorities person sought to represent it arsenic an mishap which could not beryllium easy blamed connected anyone.

The constabulary earlier said they deployed much officers for this year's Halloween festivities than they did for pre-Covid parties.

One congressman connected Tuesday besides pointed retired that due to the fact that determination was nary main organiser for the party, determination had been nary peculiar requests made to the constabulary for assemblage power and information management.

"It's intolerable to inquire for ineligible responsibility, arsenic cipher was responsible," said Yoo Sang-bum, who is with the ruling People's Power Party, connected section radio.

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo appeared to echo this enactment aboriginal astatine a overseas media briefing, saying it was "difficult to person information power successful advance" for an incidental without an organiser.

He said the authorities would reappraisal the contented of accountability lone aft a thorough probe into the causes.

But President Yoon Suk-yeol said connected Tuesday the incidental revealed the value of assemblage absorption and a deficiency of probe successful South Korea connected the subject.

"Rather than nitpicking astir whether the lawsuit had an organiser oregon not, it's the people's information that's important, and we request to travel up with thorough measures," helium said, portion suggesting the usage of drones and different integer capabilities to negociate crowds successful aboriginal events.

President Yoon had been facing mounting governmental unit and plummeting ratings adjacent earlier the incident. Police person said they had to redirect immoderate of their resources to elsewhere successful the metropolis connected Saturday nighttime to negociate immense protests against the government.