On Friday, November 11, a South Korean police officer, surname Jeong, was found dead. The police reported that the 55-year-old was discovered by a family member at 12:45 p.m. in his home. 

Jeong, an intelligence officer who had been working at Yongsan Police Precinct, was accused of ordering his colleagues to delete an intelligence report, written several days before the accident, warning of the possibility of a major incident taking place. 

Messages sent from Jeong to his colleagues suggest the possibility of his death being a suicide, but the police are still looking into the exact circumstances.

The case, the tragedy in Itaewon, Jeong was being arrested for, which happened on October 29, occurred when thousands of people celebrating Halloween crowded into the streets, causing a massive crowd crush and killing more than 150, mostly young men and women in their 20s. 

Transcripts of emergency calls, which were released by the police, show that the emergency hotline had received at least 11 reports of crowding several hours before the incident, but no action was taken.

Subsequently, civilians and the victims’ loved ones have begun to protest and are pushing for the police to take accountability for the incident.

"I felt sad at first. But now I'm angry. I'm here because this incident could have been prevented. Those people were close to my age," said 22-year-old university student Kang Hee-joo at a protest on November 5.

"Although the government clearly has responsibility, it is looking for perpetrators from irrelevant organizations… the incident occurred because the government did not play its very basic role," said another participant of the protest.

Meanwhile, the president of South Korea, Yoon Suk-yeol, has apologized for the incident and has heavily emphasized that the government will take responsibility to make the country a safer place. 

“The government will revisit the policies related to safety regulations of disasters and make major improvements in structural problems,” said Yoon on October 31 during a meeting held to review the country’s safety systems. “I cannot compare how I feel to those who have lost their sons and daughters, but my heart is heavy and I grieve as the president who should protect the lives and safety of the people. I once again send deep condolences to the victims and their families.” 

By Alexandria Kim