The verdict was handed down in the Seoul Western District Court.
Kim Kwang-ho was the chief of the Seoul police. He was the most senior official among the more than 20 people in the police and in the authorities who were prosecuted for the incident.
The prosecution submitted a request for five years in prison for Kim.
But the prosecution has not been able to prove that he neglected his duties, according to the court. Nor have they been able to demonstrate a link between his appearance and the high number of dead and injured.
Norwegian woman died
Tens of thousands of people took part in the first Halloween celebration after the corona pandemic in 2022. But the celebration went completely wrong when too many people were squeezed into narrow streets and several were trampled to death in the nightlife district of Itaewon.
Most of those who lost their lives were in their 20s and 30s, among them Norwegian Stine Roalkvam Evensen (20) from Sandnes.
Two lower-ranking officers were also acquitted of similar charges to Kim.
Survivors and next of kin have reacted to the decision and accuse the court of not holding people in power responsible for the tragedy.
Sentenced to prison
An investigation carried out by central police authorities found that the local police had failed to create an effective plan to control the large crowds.
In advance, more than 100,000 people were expected for the Halloween celebration. Only 137 police officers were assigned to handle the crowds. The police are also said to have ignored inquiries that the crowds were getting out of control in the run-up to the tragedy.
In September, two top local police officers were sentenced to prison for their inadequate response to the tragedy.
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