South Korean authorities on Thursday carried out a series of searches against more than twenty localities and headquarters, including Seoul City Hall and the Ministry of the Interior, in connection with the tragedy that took place last October 29 during a Halloween party in the neighborhood of Itaewon, where 156 people died.
A team of 65 investigators, with the cooperation of several agents, carried out the raids, which are part of the investigation into what happened that night, when there was a deadly stampede that left almost 200 people injured.
The inquiries continue to widen as controversy grows over the authorities’ failure to act after receiving the first calls alerting them to the stampede. Police plan to question the heads of several police stations in the capital this week, according to Yonhap news agency.
The special investigation committee has banned the head of the Yongsan Ward police office, Park Hee Young, from leaving the country as the investigation progresses to determine responsibility for what happened. In addition, several senior officials have already been charged.
The investigation team has filed charges against Interior Minister Lee Sang Min for negligence and delegation of duties following complaints filed by the Fire Brigade.
