South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck Soo on Monday apologized to the country for the deadly stampede that killed 156 people at a Halloween party in Seoul’s Itaewon neighborhood and vowed to reform crowd control measures to prevent similar tragedies.
«As the prime minister in charge of state affairs regarding the disaster in Itaewon, I sincerely apologize to the people,» Han said at a meeting in the country’s parliament, Yonhap news agency reported.
He also reiterated his «deep condolences» to the victims from foreign countries and their families.
«With great responsibility, the government will support each and every family member in mourning without negligence, and will quickly push forward the fundamental improvement of the system to prevent the recurrence of such a tragedy,» Han announced.
The deadly crowding last October 29 claimed the lives of 156 people, most of them in their 20s and 30s, including 26 foreign nationals.