A South Korean court has sentenced three police officers for their negligence in handling the 2022 Halloween crowd crush in Itaewon's nightlife district, which resulted in 159 deaths. Lee Im-jae, the former chief of the Yongsan police station, received a three-year prison term, marking the first conviction of officials related to the tragedy. The court described the incident as a 'man-made disaster' that could have been averted with proper crowd management. While the convicted officers face prison time, top officials, including district office chief Park Hee-young, were acquitted, igniting criticism from victims' families and opposition politicians. Relatives have called for accountability at higher levels, including the Minister of the Interior, but a parliamentary impeachment effort was previously rejected. The tragedy remains a significant point of national grief, reminiscent of past disasters in South Korea.