Constitutional Court rejects impeachment of interior minister over Itaewon crowd crush

Interior Minister Lee Sang-min speaks to reporters on May 9 outside the Constitutional Court in central Seoul before attending a hearing on his impeachment case. [YONHAP]

The Constitutional Court on Tuesday rejected the National Assembly’s impeachment of Interior Minister Lee Sang-min over last year’s fatal crowd crush in Itaewon, central Seoul, which claimed 159 lives.

Lee, who had been suspended from his duties, was immediately reinstated after the court decision.

In a much-anticipated ruling, the Constitutional Court said it was hard to believe that Lee violated the Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety.

The court’s decision came over five months since the National Assembly submitted an impeachment resolution against Lee.

The Democratic Party-controlled parliament held Lee accountable for the Yoon Suk Yeol administration’s botched handling of the deadly Itaewon crowd crush on Oct. 29.

Most of the victims were under the age of 30 celebrating Halloween. They were crushed in a narrow alley next to the Hamilton Hotel in Itaewon, central Seoul, as large crowds came from opposite directions.

Among the deaths, 26 were foreigners.

BY LEE SUNG-EUN [lee.sungeun@joongang.co.kr]