Even in advance reports of "Halloween crowd concerns"... Itaewon, where the police used to be

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As such, preparations for the Halloween event were completely absent from the security plan document of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.

However, it was confirmed that there was a prior report that there was a safety accident inside the Yongsan Police Station in charge of the Itaewon area.

Reporter Hyung-woo Jeon then reports.

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An official from the Yongsan Police Station in Seoul said in a phone call with SBS, "A few days before Halloween, a police officer in the Intelligence Division submitted a report."

"There is a risk of a safety accident due to an unexpectedly large number of people this Halloween."

As both social distancing and outdoor masks have been lifted for the first time in three years since Corona, it is expected that more citizens will come than usual.

The report is said to have been officially registered on the police internal computer network.

This was not reflected at all in the security operation plan prepared by the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency after a meeting with the chiefs of front-line police departments.

Whether the Yongsan Police Station security division in charge of on-site control did not properly share information or whether the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency did not pay attention to front-line reports is an area that needs investigation.

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency eventually deployed police personnel to various rallies and demonstrations instead of the Halloween event in Itaewon.

In particular, on the day of the disaster, as the 'march' protests continued in the city, the task force was deployed in various places from Gwanghwamun to Sungnyemun, Yongsan Samgjiji, and Sookik University Station in Seoul.

[Merchant: All the merchants thought, 'Oh, that's too dangerous'.

Police say there are only two people on the road.

They were only controlling vehicles.]

The Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency's Security Division explained, "The Halloween event was not under our jurisdiction as the 112 Situation Room was in charge."

The 112 Situation Room also said, "The police in charge of reporting drunk passengers and assaults have been dispatched to the Halloween scene, but congestion security is not our function."