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Gov't blames presidential office relocation under Yoon for Itaewon Halloween crush

Published: 23 Oct. 2025, 14:23

President Lee Jae Myung, center, greets family members of the Oct. 29 Itaewon disaster victims at the Blue House in central Seoul on July 16. [YONHAP]

The Office for Government Policy Coordination said on Thursday that the relocation of the presidential office from the Blue House to Yongsan District during the Yoon Suk Yeol administration diverted police resources away from nearby Itaewon, leaving the area unpatrolled on the night of the 2022 Halloween crowd crush that killed 159 people.

Announcing the results of its audit, the office said police were redeployed to manage a surge in protests and rallies near the new presidential compound, which left few officers available to handle large gatherings elsewhere in Seoul, including Itaewon. The lack of crowd control and police presence contributed to the deadly crush, the report found.

“The police clearly failed to prepare for a foreseeable crowd surge,” the office said, “and the presidential office’s relocation to Yongsan played a role. The move increased the need for police to manage protests near the compound, and as a result, no officers were deployed in the Itaewon area on the day of the disaster.”

The audit was launched on July 23 by a joint task force following President Lee Jae Myung’s order to reinvestigate the disaster. Lee issued the directive after meeting with families of victims of the Itaewon tragedy, as well as other major disasters, including the Sewol ferry sinking, the Osong underpass flood and the Muan plane crash.

The Sewol ferry disaster in 2014 left 304 dead, most of them high school students on a school trip. In July 2023, a collapsed embankment flooded an underpass in Osong, North Chungcheong, killing 14 people. The most recent tragedy occurred in December 2024, when a Jeju Air flight crash-landed at Muan International Airport, resulting in 179 deaths.

The task force included officials from the Office for Government Policy Coordination, the National Police Agency and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

Despite anticipating large crowds in Itaewon for Halloween, police failed to draw up a crowd control plan in 2022 — a departure from procedures followed in 2020 and 2021.

Police leaders were aware of the reduced presence in Itaewon but “failed to act, merely expressing concern without implementing a response,” the office said.

The Itaewon Disaster Bereaved Families Council holds a press conference at Gwanghwamun Square in central Seoul on Oct. 1. [YONHAP]

The audit also criticized the police's internal investigation following the tragedy, noting that it concluded without a formal report or transfer of responsibility. As a result, key officials retired without facing disciplinary action.

The Yongsan District Office was also faulted for its inadequate response.

“The district’s initial actions fell short, and basic disaster response procedures were not followed,” the office said. Critical steps, including activating the disaster response headquarters and on-site support center, were delayed or ignored.

Seoul city authorities were further criticized for allowing officials to retire without punishment after suspending disciplinary measures without due process. As of the audit date, the Yongsan District had taken no administrative action against seven officials found to have committed misconduct.

The government said it plans to hold 62 officials accountable for failures in the disaster response or related misconduct. The group includes police officers, as well as officials from the Yongsan District Office and the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

“We hope this audit can help resolve at least some of the unanswered questions still held by victims’ families and the public,” the Office for Government Policy Coordination said.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY CHO MUN-GYU [[email protected]]