Hamilton Hotel CEO avoids jail for illegal construction in Itaewon crowd crush alley
Published: 10 Apr. 2025, 18:26
![A narrow alley in Itaewon, Yongsan District, central Seoul, where the deadly crowd crush occurred on Oct. 29, 2022, is marked as the October 29 Memorial Alley on Monday, a day before the second anniversary of the Itaewon tragedy. [NEWS1]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/04/10/8e9d17bb-52cb-4cf8-88f6-e7e867d186cf.jpg)
A narrow alley in Itaewon, Yongsan District, central Seoul, where the deadly crowd crush occurred on Oct. 29, 2022, is marked as the October 29 Memorial Alley on Monday, a day before the second anniversary of the Itaewon tragedy. [NEWS1]
The CEO of the Hamilton Hotel, who was convicted of illegally expanding structures in the alley where 2022's deadly Itaewon crowd crush occurred, avoided jail time in an appellate ruling.
The Seoul Western District Court upheld the lower court’s ruling on Thursday and imposed a fine of 8 million won ($5,460) each on Lee, 78, the CEO of Hamilton Hotel, and the hotel’s operator.
Two others — a 42-year-old lounge bar tenant identified by the surname Ahn and a 54-year-old owner of another lounge bar surnamed Park — were also fined 5 million won and 1 million won, respectively, in line with the lower court’s ruling.
“The court finds the lower court’s decision convincing upon reviewing the case records,” the judge said, dismissing the prosecution’s appeal. “The prosecution argued that the sentences were too lenient, but considering all factors, the original sentencing was appropriate.”
Lee and others were brought to trial in 2018 on charges of constructing illegal structures around the hotel and using roads without permission from the district office.
The hotel’s western wall narrowed the alleyway, which was later criticized for worsening the deadly crowd surge on Oct. 29, 2022. The disaster in Itaewon led to 159 deaths.
![Flowers to pay respects to the victims of the Itaewon tragedy are laid in front of the police's access restriction line near the incident site on Oct. 31, 2022. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/04/10/c6540d95-eaec-422f-96af-b0d1b8f1638d.jpg)
Flowers to pay respects to the victims of the Itaewon tragedy are laid in front of the police's access restriction line near the incident site on Oct. 31, 2022. [YONHAP]
![Emergency respondent moving bodies from Itaewon, Seoul, on Oct. 29, 2022. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/04/10/1509daad-ee35-4ff7-a9a6-8724986e614c.jpg)
Emergency respondent moving bodies from Itaewon, Seoul, on Oct. 29, 2022. [YONHAP]
Prosecutors indicted Lee and others without detention in January 2023 on charges of unauthorized construction and illegal expansion.
In the first trial, the court found Lee guilty of illegally expanding structures but ruled him not guilty of erecting the wall, citing the lack of intent to violate the law.
Prosecutors appealed the decision, arguing the sentence was too light, and sought a one-year prison term for Lee and a 30 million won fine for the hotel's operator during a sentencing hearing on March 27.
Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY JUN-YUL [[email protected]]
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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