A South Korean court has sentenced two former senior police officers for destroying evidence linked to Seoul’s deadly 2022 Halloween crush.
Tens of thousands of people, mostly in their 20s and 30s, had been out on 29 October 2022 to enjoy the first post-pandemic holiday celebrations in the popular Itaewon nightlife district.
The night turned deadly when crowds poured into a narrow, sloping alleyway between bars and clubs, leading to nearly 160 people being crushed to death.
It said “harsh punishment” was inevitable as they had “made it difficult to determine the substantial truth by minimising and concealing the responsibility of the police”.
South Korea’s rapid transformation from a war-torn country to Asia’s fourth largest economy and a global cultural powerhouse is a source of national pride.
But a series of preventable disasters – such as the 2022 crush and the 2014 Sewol ferry sinking that killed 304 people – have shaken public confidence in authorities.
The original article contains 335 words, the summary contains 156 words. Saved 53%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
This is the best summary I could come up with:
A South Korean court has sentenced two former senior police officers for destroying evidence linked to Seoul’s deadly 2022 Halloween crush.
Tens of thousands of people, mostly in their 20s and 30s, had been out on 29 October 2022 to enjoy the first post-pandemic holiday celebrations in the popular Itaewon nightlife district.
The night turned deadly when crowds poured into a narrow, sloping alleyway between bars and clubs, leading to nearly 160 people being crushed to death.
It said “harsh punishment” was inevitable as they had “made it difficult to determine the substantial truth by minimising and concealing the responsibility of the police”.
South Korea’s rapid transformation from a war-torn country to Asia’s fourth largest economy and a global cultural powerhouse is a source of national pride.
But a series of preventable disasters – such as the 2022 crush and the 2014 Sewol ferry sinking that killed 304 people – have shaken public confidence in authorities.
The original article contains 335 words, the summary contains 156 words. Saved 53%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!